Arizona Workers Comp Statute of Limitations
Arizona's filing deadline isn't a formality. Once it passes, the legal right to benefits for that injury is generally gone, regardless of how strong the underlying claim was.
Filing Deadline
1 year
From the date of injury. Some exceptions apply — see tolling rules below. Not legal advice.
Why This Deadline Exists
Filing deadlines exist to give employers and insurers a reasonable window to investigate a claim while evidence and memories are still fresh. Arizona balances that against giving injured workers enough time to understand the full extent of an injury before locking in a filing date.
When the Deadline Can Be Extended
A handful of situations can extend — or 'toll' — this deadline. Occupational diseases that develop gradually often get a discovery-rule exception, starting the clock when the condition is diagnosed rather than when the underlying exposure began. Claims involving minors, and cases where an employer concealed the injury or fraudulently discouraged a claim, may also toll the deadline. These exceptions are narrow and fact-specific — don't assume one applies without confirming it with Arizona's workers comp agency or an attorney.
What Happens If You Miss It
A missed deadline in Arizona isn't usually something that can be fixed after the fact. The claim is typically closed to the insurer's benefit, which is exactly why acting early — even before you're certain you'll need to file — matters more than waiting for complete certainty about the injury's severity.
Arizona Workers Comp Rules
- Waiting period: 7 days
- Attorney contingency fee: 25%
- State agency: Industrial Commission of Arizona, Claims Division