The general rule: three years, raised from two in 1971
Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-14(b), actions for injuries to the person must be commenced within three years. This covers most negligence claims, along with false imprisonment and libel. The three-year figure itself is a historical change — the General Assembly increased it from two years back in 1971.
Property damage: a genuinely longer ten years
Property damage claims generally fall under an entirely different, much longer deadline — ten years under R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-13 — more than three times the general personal injury period.
Wrongful death: three years, with a real procedural requirement
Wrongful death claims generally carry the same three-year deadline from the date of death, but only the executor or administrator of the deceased's estate may bring the claim — not family members directly.
Medical malpractice: from the occurrence, not necessarily discovery
Medical malpractice claims generally run three years from the occurrence of the incident itself, under R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-14.1. See our full guide to Rhode Island's discovery rule and tolling for the real exceptions to this, and a genuinely distinctive extended deadline for uninsured motorist claims.
Government claims: a 60-day notice
Claims against a city or town come with a notably shorter notice requirement. See our full guide to Rhode Island government claim deadlines.