Iowa injury rights, deadlines, and help
This page covers Iowa injury deadlines and what to do right now.
Are you in an emergency right now?
- Check yourself and others for injuries, breathing, and bleeding.
- Call 911 if anyone is hurt or the road is not safe.
- Get somewhere safe if you can do it safely.
- Get medical care even if you feel fine. Some injuries hide for days.
- This page is for after you are safe.
We are the injured person's advocate. We connect you with a lawyer who handles cases like yours, so you get the full settlement your recovery deserves. Always free. Talk to an advocate. We usually reply within minutes, at most one business day.
The deadlines that matter in Iowa
- Personal injury lawsuit: 2 years. Iowa's statute of limitations (the legal deadline to file a lawsuit) for injury cases is 2 years. Iowa Code 614.1(2). Official text
- Work injury, tell your employer: 90 days. No compensation is owed unless your employer knew about the injury or got notice within 90 days from when you knew, or should have known, the injury was work related. Iowa Code 85.23. Official text
- Work injury, formal claim: 2 years. File within 2 years from the injury. If weekly benefits were paid, you get 3 years from the last weekly payment. Iowa Code 85.26(1). Official text
- Claim against the State of Iowa: 2 years. File a written claim with the state within 2 years. Iowa Code 669.13. Official text
- Claim against a city or county: 2 years. There is no separate notice letter, but the lawsuit itself must be filed within 2 years. Iowa Code 670.5. Official text
Warning: don't wait! Iowa's 2-year injury clock is a trap, because the 90-day work-injury report window runs much shorter underneath it, so people wait, and waiting kills cases. The longer you wait, the fuzzier memories get and documents get lost. Collect and save what you can, then talk to an advocate immediately. And important: medical claims can have different, often shorter deadlines. Do not assume the standard rule covers a hospital or doctor case. Minors and some other people may get extra time. Laws change, so treat these as starting points, not legal advice for your exact case.
Protect your case
- Talk to an advocate at WeHelpInjured. It is free.
- Report the injury in writing. Work injury: tell your employer in writing today, even though the law allows 90 days. Crash: call the police and get the report number. Fall or dog bite: tell the property owner or dog owner and keep proof you did.
- Save everything. Photos of the scene, names of witnesses, receipts, and every letter or text about the incident.
- Write down the date you connected the injury to its cause. For slow injuries, like a back that got worse over months of lifting, the clocks often start when you knew or should have known the injury was work related. Your own notes can prove that date later.
Talk to an advocate. Not sure which deadline applies to you?
Never do these
- Never sign a release or accept a first settlement offer without talking to an advocate first. Once you sign, you may not be able to undo it.
- Never give a recorded statement to an insurance company, even your own. Talk to an advocate first.
- Never wait past 90 days to report a work injury, even though the deadline sounds generous. Employers and insurers question late reports the most.
- Never post about the incident or your recovery on social media. Insurers use these posts against you.
Common situations in Iowa
Hurt at work
Iowa workers' compensation (the no-fault system that pays for work injuries) gives you 90 days to report, counted from when you knew the injury was work related. That sounds generous. In practice, people who wait are the ones who lose.
Employers and insurers question late reports, memories fade, and the injury gets blamed on something at home. Report the same day, in writing, no matter how minor it seems.
Hurt on the road
Car, motorcycle, bike, and pedestrian injuries generally fall under the 2-year lawsuit deadline. Iowa uses a modified comparative fault rule: if you were partly at fault, your recovery is reduced by your share, and if your share passes 50 percent, you recover nothing. Iowa Code 668.3. Official text
This is why insurers argue hard about fault percentages, so gather photos and witness names early.
Hurt on someone's property, or by a dog
Slip and fall cases follow the same 2-year clock, including falls on city or state property.
For dog attacks, Iowa law is on your side: the owner is liable for all damages when a dog attacks or attempts to bite a person. The main exceptions are when the victim was doing something unlawful that directly contributed to the injury, or when a rabid dog bit without the owner having reason to know. Iowa Code 351.28. Official text
What we can help with
We are not a law firm and we do not charge injured people anything. We are your advocate. Here is what that looks like:
- Explain your rights and the Iowa deadlines above in plain language.
- Help you figure out which situation you are in: work injury, road injury, government property, dog bite, or something else.
- Connect you with a lawyer who handles cases like yours, so you get the full settlement your recovery deserves.
- A nearby hospital, lab, or doctor can document your condition, which supports your claim.
Our help is always free to you. We never take money from injured people.
Talk to an advocate. You do not have to figure this out alone. Start the form or open the chat.
Sources
- Iowa Code 614.1 (personal injury statute of limitations): https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/614.1.pdf
- Iowa Code 85.23 (work injury notice): https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/85.23.pdf
- Iowa Code 85.26 (workers' compensation claim deadline): https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/85.26.pdf
- Iowa Code 669.13 (claims against the state): https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/669.13.pdf
- Iowa Code 670.5 (claims against cities and counties): https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/670.5.pdf
- Iowa Code 351.28 (dog attack liability): https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/351.28.pdf
- Iowa Code 668.3 (comparative fault): https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/668.3.pdf
Last reviewed: 2026-08-17
This is general information, not legal advice. Deadlines can change or vary with the facts. A licensed attorney can confirm the rule for your situation.