A statute of limitations is a law that sets forth the period within which you must file a lawsuit for a particular type of claim. If you file a suit after the applicable statute of limitations has passed, a judge will likely dismiss it. In Maine, parents pursuing a birth injury claim on their child's behalf must file suit within three years of the alleged act of medical malpractice that caused their injury. If the malpractice included a series of mistakes, that three years begins on the date of the last act of malpractice. In the case of a minor suing on their own behalf, they must file suit within six years of the act of malpractice or within three years after they reach age 18, whichever comes first.