As soon as you can. Medical malpractice lawsuits in Missouri are subject to a
stricttwo-year
statute of limitations.
There is one notable exception – foreign objects left in the body during surgery. Patients will have up to two years from the date the object is discovered (or should have been discovered) to file a lawsuit.
However, even in those situations, patients will have a limited amount of time to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. There’s a 10 year statute of repose that bars all claims one decade from the date of an act of medical negligence. Once 10 years goes by, a victim loses the right to file a claim, even if their injury hasn’t been discovered yet.
Hiring a medical malpractice attorney will help to ensure that your claim is filed on time. Additionally, getting help right away can improve the odds of a successful claim for damages. Evidence can be lost or disappear, and witness memories will fade over time. The sooner our attorneys can begin to work on your case, the stronger it can be – and the more likely it is that you’ll secure the compensation you deserve.