Hawaii car accident statute of limitations: two years and the PIP clock
The Hawaii car accident statute of limitations may run from your last PIP payment. Call free to check.
Hawaii is a no-fault state and that moves the clock. You can sue up to two years after the crash or the last no-fault payment, whichever is later, under HRS 431:10C-315. Hawaii also limits who may sue for pain.
The deadlines in Hawaii
| What | Time limit | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Injury lawsuit | Two years from the crash or the last PIP payment, whichever is later | HRS 431:10C-315(b) |
| Car or property damage lawsuit | Two years | HRS 657-7 |
| Shared fault | Barred above 50 percent | HRS 663-31 |
| Minimum liability cover | $40,000 / $80,000 / $20,000 (from January 1, 2026) | HRS 431:10C-301 |
| No-fault (PIP) benefits | $10,000 per person | HRS 431:10C-103.5 |
| Written notice of a claim against a county | Two years | HRS 46-72 |
How the no-fault rule shapes a Hawaii claim
After a crash, your own policy pays the first medical bills through personal injury protection or PIP. That cover tops out at $10,000 per person, under HRS 431:10C-103.5.
You may step outside no-fault and sue the other driver for pain only in set cases. These include death, a serious permanent injury or disfigurement or PIP benefits of $5,000 or more, under section 431:10C-306. Car damage is different: no-fault covers bodies, not vehicles, so the at-fault driver owes for it, as the state Insurance Division explains.
Hawaii’s deadline in plain terms
For injuries, the two years run from the later of the crash date or the last PIP payment. If your insurer paid a therapy bill eight months after the wreck, your two years can run from that payment instead. Damage to the car follows the general two-year rule in HRS 657-7, counted from the crash.
Hurt on a county road or by a county worker? Hawaii requires written notice to the county within two years, under HRS 46-72.
Fault and the higher minimum limits in Hawaii
Hawaii lets you recover if your share of blame is not greater than the other side’s. At 50 percent you still collect half; above that you collect nothing, under section 663-31.
Liability minimums rose on January 1, 2026, to $40,000 per person, $80,000 per crash and $20,000 for property, under HRS 431:10C-301. Even those limits can run short after a hospital stay, so your own uninsured and underinsured cover matters.
When to call a Hawaii car accident lawyer
Call once your bills near the $5,000 PIP mark or a doctor talks about lasting harm. That is when a pain claim may open up. An attorney can track the last PIP payment date, which sets your deadline. Talking it over costs nothing and the lawyer is paid only from a win.
Other states: California, Alaska, Oregon, Washington or every state on one page.
Hawaii car accident statute of limitations questions
How long do I have to sue after a car accident in Hawaii?
Two years from the crash or from the last no-fault payment, whichever comes later, under HRS 431:10C-315.
Can I sue for pain and suffering in Hawaii?
Only if your injury meets the no-fault threshold, such as $5,000 in PIP benefits, a serious permanent injury or death.
What are the minimum insurance limits in Hawaii?
From January 1, 2026: $40,000 per person, $80,000 per crash and $20,000 for property damage.
Before the clock runs out
Hawaii’s no-fault rules decide whether you can claim for pain at all and adjusters know it well. Before you sign a release, call and have a lawyer look over your deadline and the offer, free.
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