Statute of repose in Michigan

Direct answer

Michigan’s general statute of repose is 6 years under MCL § 767.24(1) (US‑MI). In DocketMath, the statute-of-limitations calculator uses this as the default “outside limit” for many covered civil claims within Michigan’s general repose framework—so a claim can be time-barred even if discovery or accrual happened later.

Because statutes of repose and statutes of limitation are different time bars, it helps to keep them straight:

• Statute of limitation (SOL): focuses on when a claim accrues (often connected to injury or discovery).
• Statute of repose (repose): focuses on the age of the underlying event/condition, usually keyed to a trigger date (an “outside” cutoff) and can end the right to sue regardless of accrual/discovery.

What you need to know

Michigan’s general default repose period (what you’re using here)

For this jurisdiction (US‑MI), the provided jurisdiction data states:

• General SOL Period: 6 years
• General Statute: MCL § 767.24(1)
• No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found → the analysis uses the general/default 6-year period as the repose “outside limit.”

Practical takeaway: the repose deadline can expire before (or while you’re still within) a related SOL window. If you’re trying to determine whether time has already run out, treat the repose trigger as the hard stop when you have the needed dates.

What DocketMath needs for a repose-style run

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations tool is designed to convert key dates into deadline outputs. To run a repose-style calculation in US‑MI, you typically provide:

• A repose start/trigger date (the event date that starts the 6-year period in your fact pattern)
• Optionally, a filing date (so the tool can compare “filed vs. deadline”)

If you provide only the start date, DocketMath will compute the latest possible filing deadline based on the 6-year general repose period.

Step-by-step

1. Identify the “repose trigger/start” date from your facts

   • Under MCL § 767.24(1), the outside cutoff is tied to a specific statutory triggering event (the statute’s “last act/occurrence” style trigger for the covered framework).
   • In practice, you’ll need to map your timeline to the statute’s trigger logic using your record dates (for example, a completion/termination or equivalent trigger depending on the covered scenario).

2. Confirm you’re using the general default rule

   • Your jurisdiction data explicitly notes: no claim-type-specific sub-rule was found.
   • That means this content uses the general 6-year period associated with MCL § 767.24(1) as the default model—not a specialized schedule for a particular claim category.

3. **Open the DocketMath tool (Michigan-aware)

   • Use the primary CTA: **/tools/statute-of-limitations
   • If the tool asks you to select a jurisdiction, choose Michigan (US‑MI).

4. Enter the repose start date

   • Type the date that you believe triggers the statute’s 6-year outside window.
   • Double-check accuracy—repose deadlines are calendar-based, and shifting the start date by even a month can change the computed deadline.

5. (Optional) Enter your filing date

   • If you enter your filing/claim initiation date, DocketMath can compare it against the computed repose deadline and reflect whether it appears timely under the general model.

6. Review the output

   • DocketMath will produce a deadline date calculated from:

     • 6 years from the repose start date, and
     • the US‑MI jurisdiction-aware rules in the tool’s dataset.

7. Cross-check against your timeline

   • Compare the DocketMath repose deadline to any other dates you track, such as:

     • an accrual/notice date (if you have one), and
     • your planned filing date.
   • If the repose deadline is earlier than your other time bar deadline, you may be facing the “hard stop” effect of repose.

Key statutes and citations

Common pitfalls

• Using the wrong start/trigger date

  • The most common error is entering a date that tracks injury/discovery/accrual rather than the statute’s repose trigger.
  • Because repose and SOL timelines are not always aligned, this can swing results significantly.

• Assuming discovery extends the repose period

  • Repose is designed as an outside cutoff. Even if you couldn’t reasonably discover the issue earlier, repose can still end the lawsuit window based on the trigger date.

• **Confusing repose (outside cutoff) with limitation (accrual-based window)

  • SOLs often run from accrual/notice.
  • Repose often runs from an event date—so the repose clock may expire first.

• Forgetting this guide uses a general default

  • The jurisdiction data provided says no claim-type-specific sub-rule was found.
  • That’s why the model uses the 6-year default rather than a tailored schedule.

• Relying on approximate dates

  • If your timeline is “sometime in 2019” rather than a documented event date, you can mis-estimate by enough time to change a deadline outcome. If possible, use document-backed dates.

Run the numbers

Use DocketMath to compute the latest filing deadline based on the 6-year Michigan general default.

Quick example (illustrative)

Assume you determine the repose trigger/start date is:

• Start date: 2019-06-15
• Repose period: 6 years (default under MCL § 767.24(1))

Under the simplified model, DocketMath would output a deadline around:

• Latest deadline: 2025-06-15

Now change the filing date:

• File on 2025-06-10 → likely within the computed outside deadline
• File on 2025-06-16 → likely after the computed outside deadline

How the output changes when inputs change

When you run your own facts:

• Later start date → computed deadline moves later
• Earlier start date → computed deadline moves earlier
• Providing a filing date → lets the tool compare “filed vs. deadline” under the general model

To calculate with your own dates, use: /tools/statute-of-limitations.

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