The general rule: three years
Under SDCL § 15-2-14(3), an action for personal injury can be commenced only within three years after the cause of action accrues — the general rule covering most negligence-based injury claims.
Medical malpractice: a genuinely shorter deadline
Medical malpractice claims don't share the general three-year rule. Under SDCL § 15-2-14.1, these claims generally get only two years — a full year less than the general personal injury period, the opposite of what someone might assume.
Property damage: a genuinely longer six years
Property damage claims generally fall under a much longer deadline — six years under SDCL § 15-2-13(4) — double the general personal injury period.
Wrongful death: the same three years
Wrongful death claims generally carry the same three-year deadline from the date of death.
A tolling statute that courts themselves once misread
South Dakota has a genuinely fascinating legal history around one of its own tolling statutes. See our full guide to South Dakota's discovery rule and tolling for the real story.
Government claims: a 180-day notice
Claims against a public entity come with a distinct, much shorter notice requirement. See our full guide to South Dakota government claim deadlines.