The general rule: three years, for injury, property, and death alike
Under M.G.L. c. 260, § 2A, actions of tort, actions of contract to recover for personal injuries, and actions of replevin must be commenced within three years after the cause of action accrues. This unified rule covers personal injury and property damage claims alike. A wrongful death claim also carries a three-year deadline, measured from the date of death rather than the date of the underlying injury.
Medical malpractice: discovery-based, with a 7-year hard cap
Medical malpractice claims generally must be filed within three years of when the injury was discovered, or reasonably should have been discovered. A separate statute of repose sets an absolute outer limit of seven years, regardless of when the malpractice was actually discovered.
Government claims: a genuinely distinctive "presentment" requirement
Suing a Massachusetts public employer isn't just a matter of the general three-year deadline — it requires a separate, strictly enforced step called "presentment," and the rules around exactly when and how it counts are genuinely unusual. See our full guide to the Massachusetts presentment requirement.
Minors and an absent defendant
Massachusetts tolls the general deadline for minors until their 18th birthday, and for periods when a defendant is outside the state. See our full guide to Massachusetts's discovery rule and tolling for how these exceptions actually work.