Is it Too Late to Sue My Doctor in California?

Many patients do not find out that they have been injured by their doctor's negligence until many months after the fact. Sometimes symptoms do not reveal themselves until much later. Other times patients think the symptoms they feel are as a result of normal therapy or normal surgery recovery. Many patients convince themselves that the headaches will go away, or the swelling will stop soon, or the pain is caused by something else. All too often, patients will not even go back to their doctor to find out what is going on with their body.

The risk of not getting your symptoms looked into is great. You must find out as soon as possible whether your doctor's negligence caused you harm. If you wait too long, your physical well being could be at jeopardy. In addition to that, you may lose your chance at monetary compensation for your suffering.

In California, Code of Civil Procedure section 340.5, tells us that a lawsuit against a health care provider for medical malpractice must be brought within three years of the date of the injury or within one year the patient discovered or should have discovered the injury. This places the onus on the patient to learn about the injury and the negligence before the time to file a lawsuit runs out. This time to file a lawsuit is called a "statute of limitations." Once the statute of limitations runs out, many patients are left without any recourse against their health provider. They are simply out of luck.

If you think you may have suffered from a physician's errors, you should speak with a qualified medical malpractice attorney near you. Your qualified attorney can point you in the right direction and help you decide whether or not you can and should file a lawsuit against. Click on your state on the left side of your screen to find a medical malpractice lawyer near you.