{"id":371295,"date":"2016-03-31T21:34:18","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:34:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/alabama-law\/alabama-civil-statute-of-limitations-laws.html"},"modified":"2024-12-19T13:42:38","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T18:42:38","slug":"alabama-civil-statute-of-limitations-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/alabama-law\/alabama-civil-statute-of-limitations-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Alabama Civil Statute of Limitations Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Alabama Civil Statute of Limitations Laws<\/h1>\n
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\n By Samuel Strom, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by FindLaw Staff<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Maybe your back is still sore from when you got rear-ended on I-65 a year ago. Or maybe you just discovered that the repair shop didn’t replace your bumper correctly. Could you have a legal case for damages against the other driver? What about against the auto shop?<\/p>\r\n

As it turns out, even if you have a valid case, you have to file it within a certain period of time after the claim accrues. Each claim has a specific time for the plaintiff to file their case. This is the statute of limitations.<\/p>\r\n

This article offers information about civil statute of limitations laws in Alabama. It begins with a summary of statutes of limitations. It then has a chart highlighting Alabama’s statutes of limitations on various types of actions. The article concludes with a list of related resources.<\/p>\r\n

Civil Statutes of Limitation: General Information<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

All states have statutes of limitations<\/a> that set a time limit for filing civil lawsuits. Failing to file a lawsuit within that time limit will bar a person from filing their cause of action. In other words, the statute of limitations sets a hard deadline. If you miss it, the court can no longer hear the claim.<\/p>\r\n

The statute of limitations begins "running" when a claim accrues. The general rule is that a claim accrues when the legal claims arises. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that<\/a> this typically happens once "the plaintiff has a complete and present cause of action." Usually, the clock starts at one of the following times:<\/p>\r\n