Statute of Limitations for Premises Liability / Slip and Fall in Michigan

Overview

Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Statute Of Limitations calculator.

In Michigan, the default statute of limitations (SOL) for premises liability—commonly a slip-and-fall claim—generally is 6 years under MCL § 767.24(1).

Premises liability in Michigan often involves allegations that a property owner (or another responsible party) did not keep the premises reasonably safe and that this failure contributed to the injury. Even when the facts seem straightforward, the key timing question remains the same: how long do you have to file suit before the claim becomes time-barred?

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator helps you estimate deadlines based on key dates you provide (such as the date of injury). This content is factual and practical, but it’s not legal advice—use it to organize your review and understand how Michigan’s rules generally work.

Limitation period

Michigan’s general/default SOL period is 6 years for the premises-related injury claims covered by MCL § 767.24(1).

Based on the jurisdiction data provided for this article, no claim-type-specific sub-rule was found that would shorten or otherwise change the limitations period for premises liability or slip-and-fall in Michigan. In other words, start with the 6-year default unless a distinct legal rule applies to your situation.

What “6 years” means in practice

Think of the 6-year SOL as a window to file a lawsuit in court. For many slip-and-fall matters, a central timing anchor is the date of injury (for example, the date you slipped and fell). Other legal concepts—like how a claim accrues or whether a tolling event applies—can also affect timing, but the default baseline in this guide is 6 years from the applicable starting point.

Inputs that typically matter for calculating a deadline

When you use DocketMath, you’ll typically provide dates such as:

• Date of injury (e.g., slip-and-fall date)
• Any tolling-related events (only if they plausibly fit your facts and are relevant under Michigan rules)

The calculator then generates an estimated “last filing date” based on the 6-year default and the dates you enter.

How outputs change when inputs change

Because the deadline is date-driven, small differences in dates can matter. Here’s how the output often shifts when you adjust inputs:

If you’re comparing possible triggering dates (for example, date of fall vs. another well-documented date), run separate calculations so you can see how sensitive the deadline is to each assumption.

Key exceptions

Even when the default is 6 years, Michigan SOL timing can sometimes be affected by exceptions, tolling, or accrual concepts. The jurisdiction data provided here identifies the general/default 6-year period and does not identify a slip-and-fall-specific shortened rule. That means your timing review should focus on whether something in your situation changes when the clock effectively starts or stops.

Practical categories to consider include:

• Tolling doctrines (circumstances that can pause or delay the SOL clock)
• Accrual concepts (when the claim is considered to have accrued under applicable law)
• Procedural timing (how “filing” is treated for SOL purposes)

A practical checklist for “exception” hunting

Before you finalize a deadline estimate, confirm the following:

When dates are uncertain, it’s often safer to be conservative and run multiple scenarios, then align your chosen date with your records and documentation.

Statute citation

The general/default SOL period referenced in this guide is 6 years, set out in:

• **MCL § 767.24(1)

This page uses the general/default 6-year period as the starting point because no claim-type-specific sub-rule was found in the provided jurisdiction data for premises liability / slip-and-fall in Michigan.

Data source note: The jurisdiction information cited here is based on Michigan.gov (as provided).

Use the calculator

Use DocketMath to estimate an estimated last filing deadline for your slip-and-fall/premises liability matter:

Start here: /tools/statute-of-limitations

Suggested calculator workflow

1. Enter the date of injury you believe starts the limitations period.
2. Review the generated deadline (the estimated “last filing date”).
3. If you’re unsure about the triggering date, run an alternate scenario (e.g., a different candidate date supported by your documents).
4. If there are facts that likely qualify for tolling under Michigan law, enter the corresponding tolling-related date(s)—but only when you have a factual basis.

Example inputs and how the output responds

• Entering a later injury date generally moves the estimated deadline later, because the 6-year baseline starts later.
• Entering an earlier injury date generally moves the estimated deadline earlier.
• Entering a tolling-related event (when it truly applies) may extend the estimated deadline—but only do this when the facts support it.

DocketMath best-practice: scenario testing

Instead of relying on a single guess, generate 2–3 estimates, such as:

• One using the date of fall/injury
• One using the date you first sought medical treatment (if well documented and relevant to your timing questions)
• One using a documented aggravation date (if applicable)

Then compare results. If you’re trying to avoid SOL problems, the earliest reasonable deadline estimate is often the safest target for planning.

Sources and references

Start with the primary authority for Michigan and confirm the effective date before relying on any output. If the rule has been amended, update the inputs and rerun the calculation.

• MCL § 600.5807

Related reading

• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Vermont — How to choose the right calculator
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules
• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Connecticut — How to choose the right calculator