Mississippi Prejudgment Interest Rate
United States Mississippi prejudgment interest is discretionary — here is the rate courts apply.
Set by statute Discretionary
In Mississippi, prejudgment interest is discretionary: a court may award it, and when it does the rate is 8% per year under Miss. Code Ann. § 75-17-7. Prejudgment interest is allowed ONLY on liquidated / reasonably ascertainable amounts.
When Mississippi prejudgment interest applies
Prejudgment interest is allowed ONLY on liquidated / reasonably ascertainable amounts. Mississippi Supreme Court holds NO prejudgment interest is allowed where the amount owed is UNLIQUIDATED prior to judgment. This BARS prejudgment interest on most tort / personal-injury claims and medical-malpractice claims because damages there are typically unliquidated (Coho Resources v. McCarthy — personal injury; med-mal damages generally not liquidated). Available for contract claims and other liquidated/sum-certain claims.
When it starts accruing
Interest runs at the contract rate and, per Arcadia Farms P'ship v. Audubon Ins. Co. (2012), the trial court MAY award it from the DATE OF BREACH (not limited to the post-complaint period).
Simple or compound
Simple interest (statute does not authorize compounding; the § 75-17-1 legal rate is computed by the actuarial method but prejudgment interest is applied as simple interest).
Prejudgment interest under Miss. Code Ann. § 75-17-7 — 8% (simple interest). This is PREjudgment interest (accruing before entry of judgment) and is separate from Mississippi’s post-judgment rate; availability is limited by claim type (see the page). Verify against the statute text. Not legal advice.
Effective-date history
| Effective date | Rate | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| July 9, 2026 | 8% | Statute |
Source & provenance
Latest value retrieved July 10, 2026 (02:55 UTC) from the official source:
https://law.justia.com/codes/mississippi/title-75/chapter-17/general-provisions/section-75-17-7/