California does place time limits on how long individuals have to file medical malpractice claims against a negligent medical provider. According to California Code of Civil Procedure section 340.5,  we can see that these claims must be filed within one year after a person discovers or should have discovered, through reasonable due diligence, that a medical error caused their injury or illness OR within three years from the date the injury or illness occurred, whichever comes first.
There are various situations where the deadline could be extended. One of the main exceptions includes a case of a foreign object left behind inside of a person's body. When this happens, individuals still have one year from the date of discovery to file their claim, but there is no overall time limit.
Another exception to the medical malpractice statute of limitations in California includes injuries or illnesses caused by medical errors that occurred to children younger than six years old. Even if the overall three-year timeframe has passed, the medical malpractice claim can still be filed so long as it is before the child turns eight years old.
Finally, the time frame can be expanded if the defendant intentionally hit the medical malpractice from investigations or committed fraud.