Iowa Car Accident Settlement Calculator and Laws (2026)

Iowa filing deadlines

Iowa Code 614.1(2) (injuries to the person); Iowa Code 614.1(4) (injuries to property); Iowa Code 669.13; Iowa Code 670.5. Counted from the accident date in most cases.
Claim	Deadline
Personal injury lawsuit	2 years
Vehicle and property damage	5 years
Wrongful death	2 years
Notice of a claim against a government	Claims against the state: written claim filed with the director of the department of management within 2 years after accrual (Iowa Code 669.13). Claims against municipalities: suit within 2 years (Iowa Code 670.5); no separate short notice period.

Property: 614.1(4) 'those brought for injuries to property... within five years'. Iowa has no separate wrongful death limitations statute; death claims are brought by the estate and governed by the 2-year injury-to-person period in 614.1(2).

If you were partly at fault

Iowa follows modified comparative negligence, 51% bar. Your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, and you recover nothing if you were more at fault than the other side (51% or more). At exactly 50% you still recover half.

With $100,000 in damages and 30% of the fault, you would recover $70,000.
With 55% of the fault, you would recover $0, because the rule bars your claim.

Barred only if claimant's fault is greater than the combined fault of defendants (recovery allowed at exactly 50%); damages reduced by claimant's percentage.

Source: Iowa Code 668.3(1)(a). Compare all states in the comparative negligence table.

At-fault (tort) state

In Iowa the driver who caused the crash is responsible for the damage, so you claim against their liability insurance or sue them. Your own medical payments or health coverage can pay bills while the claim is pending.

Minimum car insurance in Iowa

$20,000 per person and $40,000 per accident for injuries, $15,000 for property damage. Uninsured motorist coverage is optional or can be rejected in writing.

Many drivers carry only the minimum, so the bodily injury limit is often the most the at-fault driver's insurer will pay one person. UM, hit-and-run and UIM coverage must be included at the 321A.1(11) limits, but 'the named insured may reject all of such coverage' in writing (516A.1.

Damage caps

Iowa does not cap pain and suffering in ordinary car accident cases.

No general cap for ordinary car accidents. Special cap: $5,000,000 per plaintiff for noneconomic damages against the owner or operator of a commercial motor vehicle requiring a CDL (trucks), with exceptions (e.g. alcohol.04+, drugs, reckless driving, phone use, speeding 15+ mph over, felony), not applicable to passenger common carriers; inflation adjusted from 2028 (Iowa Code 668.15A, effective July 1, 2023). Medical malpractice has separate caps (147.136A). 668.15A enacted by 2023 Acts ch 84 (SF 228). 668A.1 text from (Iowa Code 2026).

Dog bite law

Strict liability statute. Exception when the injured party is doing an unlawful act directly contributing to the injury. Also covers damage to domestic animals. Hydrophobia (rabies) exception unless owner had reason to know.

Source: Iowa Code 351.28. Estimate a claim with the dog bite calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to file a car accident claim in Iowa?

2 years from the accident for an injury lawsuit and 5 years for vehicle damage (Iowa Code 614.1(2) (injuries to the person); Iowa Code 614.1(4) (injuries to property); Iowa Code 669.13; Iowa Code 670.5). Insurance claims should be reported much sooner, and claims against a government agency can have shorter notice deadlines.

Is Iowa a no-fault state?

No. Iowa is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the other people's injuries and damage.

What happens if I was partly at fault in Iowa?

Iowa follows modified comparative negligence, 51% bar (Iowa Code 668.3(1)(a)). Your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, and you recover nothing if you were more at fault than the other side (51% or more). At exactly 50% you still recover half.

What is the minimum car insurance in Iowa?

$20,000 per person and $40,000 per accident for injuries, $15,000 for property damage (20/40/15).

Does Iowa cap pain and suffering damages?

Not in ordinary car accident cases. No general cap for ordinary car accidents. Special cap: $5,000,000 per plaintiff for noneconomic damages against the owner or operator of a commercial motor vehicle requiring a CDL (trucks), with exceptions (e.g. alcohol.04+, drugs, reckless driving, phone use, speeding 15+ mph over, felony), not applicable to passenger common carriers; inflation adjusted from 2028 (Iowa Code 668.15A, effective July 1, 2023). Medical malpractice has separate caps (147.136A). 668.15A enacted by 2023 Acts ch 84 (SF 228). 668A.1 text from (Iowa Code 2026).

Sources

Checked against official Iowa sources November 5, 2026.