The statute of limitations on medical malpractice sets a time limit within which a patient must file a medical malpractice lawsuit. If the patient fails to file the lawsuit within the specified time frame, they may lose their right to pursue legal action.
Each state has different statutes of limitations depending on when the injury was discovered, the type of injury, or the age of the patient. For example, in California, the statute of limitations for medical malpractice is generally 3 years from the date of the injury or 1 year from the date the patient discovered or should have discovered the injury, whichever comes first. However, there are exceptions for cases involving minors or cases where a foreign object was left in a patient's body, which have longer statutes of limitations.