The general rule: three years, for injury, property, and death alike
Under Miss. Code § 15-1-49, most personal injury claims must be filed within three years from the date of injury, or from when the injury was or reasonably should have been discovered. This residual rule also covers property damage and wrongful death claims.
Medical malpractice: a shorter, separate rule
Medical malpractice claims generally carry a shorter two-year deadline under § 15-1-36, running from the date of the error or its discovery.
Minors: a genuinely distinctive age 21, not 18
Here's a detail that genuinely surprises people moving from another state. Mississippi tolls the statute of limitations for a minor's own injury claim until they turn 21, not the age 18 that most other states use. See our full guide to Mississippi's discovery rule and tolling for exactly how this works.
Government claims: a much shorter, more procedural deadline
Claims against a Mississippi governmental entity follow the Mississippi Tort Claims Act, with its own one-year deadline and a mandatory pre-suit notice process. See our full guide to Mississippi government claim deadlines, including a genuinely new 2026 protection for claimants.