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Statute of Limitations for Medical Malpractice Claims

Take Swift Action with Our New York Medical Malpractice Attorneys

If you have been injured or lost a family member as a result of medical negligence, you must act within strict time limits to bring forth a medical malpractice lawsuit. Failure to do so may leave you with no legal options and unable to pursue monetary compensation for the financial hardships you face. If you have questions about the time limits involved in filing a medical malpractice claim, experienced New York medical malpractice lawyers as Rheingold Giuffra Ruffo Plotkin & Hellman LLP are here to help.

Get more than 30 years of experience on your side. Call us at (212) 684-1880 today.

How Long Do I Have to File?

If you or someone close to you has been harmed by medical negligence, it is important to know the statute of limitations governing these claims. Medical malpractice timelines vary by state. In New York, the general rule applying to adult patients is that a claim must be filed within two and a half years from the act that led to the medical malpractice claim.

There are, however, exceptions:

  • Claims involving children: You have ten years to file a claim on behalf of a child. Keep in mind, however, the two-and-a-half-year clock starts ticking after the child turns 18, meaning you must file a claim six months after a child reaches the age of 20.
  • Continuous treatment: In some cases in which the patient continues to receive treatment, the statute of limitations is extended to two and a half years after the last treatment for the illness, injury or condition. This is different than the initial date the act of malpractice occurred.
  • Foreign object exception: If the lawsuit involves the doctor leaving a foreign object in the patient, the lawsuit must be filed within one year of the discovery of the object, even if that date falls after two and a half years of the initial act.
  • Wrongful death: If a patient dies from an act of medical negligence, the surviving family members have two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death claim, even if this date falls more than two and a half years after the act of malpractice.

There are several other exceptions that we would be happy to discuss with you, including those involving claims against government entities. Please remember, that time limitations vary from case to case and from state to state. For a full evaluation of your case and the time limits you face, we urge you to talk to an experienced medical malpractice attorney.

Our dedicated team of counselors is ready to have these discussions with you. Request a free, no-obligation case evaluation with our firm today.