Maryland has the longest statute of limitations for medical malpractice lawsuits, at five years after the occurrence of the injury, according to a Nov. 18 report from Forbes.
The statute of limitations is how long patients have to pursue a malpractice claim against a physician after an alleged incident.
States ranked by medical malpractice statute of limitations:
- Maryland: 5 years after injury occurrence, or 3 years after discovery
- Minnesota: 4 years
- California: 3 years after injury occurrence, or 1 year after discovery
- District of Columbia: 3 years
- Maine: 3 years
- Massachusetts: 3 years
- Montana: 3 years
- Nevada: 3 years
- New Mexico: 3 years
- North Carolina: 3 years
- Rhode Island: 3 years
- South Carolina: 3 years
- Tennessee: 3 years after injury occurrence, or 1 year after discovery
- Vermont: 3 years
- Washington: 3 years
- Wisconsin: 3 years
- New York: 2.5 years
- Alabama: 2 years
- Alaska: 2 years
- Arizona: 2 years
- Arkansas: 2 years
- Colorado: 2 years
- Connecticut: 2 years
- Delaware: 2 years
- Florida: 2 years
- Georgia: 2 years
- Hawaii: 2 years
- Idaho: 2 years
- Illinois: 2 years
- Indiana: 2 years
- Iowa: 2 years
- Kansas: 2 years
- Michigan: 2 years
- Mississippi: 2 years
- Missouri: 2 years
- Nebraska: 2 years
- New Hampshire: 2 years
- New Jersey: 2 years
- North Dakota: 2 years
- Oklahoma: 2 years
- Oregon: 2 years
- Pennsylvania: 2 years
- South Dakota: 2 years
- Texas: 2 years
- Utah: 2 years
- Virginia: 2 years
- West Virginia: 2 years
- Wyoming: 2 years
- Kentucky: 1 year
- Louisiana: 1 year
- Ohio: 1 year