In a railroad case, the deadline you have never heard of is the one that kills claims: when a public transit agency is the defendant, you often must file a formal notice of claim in as little as 90 days — long before the ordinary statute of limitations runs. Miss it, and a strong case can be dismissed before anyone looks at the merits.
There are two clocks, not one
- The statute of limitations — the outer deadline to file a lawsuit, generally 1–6 years for personal injury depending on your state. The calculator estimates this from your accident date.
- The notice-of-claim deadline — a much earlier administrative step required when you sue a government entity (most U.S. passenger rail is public). Examples: New York's MTA and many agencies require notice within 90 days; California requires a government claim within 6 months; Pennsylvania (SEPTA) within 6 months. This is the deadline people miss.
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Special cases the tool flags
- Railroad employees (FELA). If you were hurt on the job for a railroad, you do not file an ordinary injury claim — you bring a claim under the Federal Employers' Liability Act (45 U.S.C. §§51–60), which has its own three-year deadline. See the FELA guide.
- Amtrak. As the national passenger carrier, Amtrak claims carry firm deadlines and a federal damages cap; do not assume the ordinary state clock is your only constraint. See Amtrak claims & the cap.
- Wrongful death. If a loved one died, the wrongful-death clock often runs from the date of death and has its own rules.
Because exceptions (minors, discovery rule, claims against multiple defendants) can move these dates either way, treat the result as a prompt to act now — not as your actual legal deadline. Cross-check the state detail on the statute-of-limitations lookup and confirm with a licensed attorney immediately.
