Dismissal, almost without exception
If a personal injury lawsuit is filed in New Hampshire after the applicable statute of limitations has run — the general three-year deadline under RSA 508:4, or the much shorter 60-day notice window for a municipal claim — the court will almost always dismiss the case as time-barred. This happens regardless of how strong the underlying claim actually is or how serious the injury turned out to be.
Courts apply these deadlines strictly
New Hampshire courts have stated plainly that they strictly adhere to deadlines when assessing compliance with the statute of limitations. Being close to the deadline, or having a sympathetic reason for the delay that doesn't fit a recognized legal exception, isn't on its own a basis for a court to excuse a late filing.
A genuinely live risk right now: the minors question
Because New Hampshire's trial courts are currently split on whether a minor gets 2 years or 3 years after turning 18 to bring a personal injury claim, relying confidently on either figure alone carries a real, present risk of miscalculation. See our guide to this unsettled question for the full background, and confirm the current state of this specific issue with an attorney before assuming either number controls.
Negotiations end along with the legal leverage behind them
One of the more painful practical consequences: once the statute of limitations has actually run, an insurance company has no legal obligation to keep negotiating, to make any offer, or to pay anything at all — even if settlement talks were active and seemingly productive right up until the deadline passed.
If there's any doubt at all
Because the consequence of missing a deadline is generally permanent, and because New Hampshire's rules genuinely differ depending on the type of claim and, for minors, an actively unsettled legal question, the only reliable way to know where things actually stand is to confirm the exact date with a licensed New Hampshire attorney as early as possible.