District of Columbia Medical Malpractice Statute of Limitations

In District of Columbia, the general statute of limitations for medical malpractice claims is 3 years under D.C. Code § 12-301. This is general educational information; the deadline that applies to matters like yours may differ based on the specific facts of the case. Discovery rule applies. Consult a licensed attorney in District of Columbia to confirm the deadline for your situation.

Most states use a discovery rule: the clock may start when you knew or should have known about the injury. A hard outer cap from the date of the act also applies in most states.

Yes. Medical malpractice deadlines are among the most complex: most states apply a discovery rule (clock starts when you knew or should have known), but with a hard outer cap from the date of the act. Minor patients and cases involving foreign objects left in the body often have separate rules. Tolling rules vary by state and case type, so it is worth confirming with a licensed attorney in District of Columbia whether an exception applies to matters like yours.

Nationally, cases like this have historically ranged $50,000 – $500,000+ (illustrative, not specific to District of Columbia or to any individual case). Medical malpractice claims depend heavily on expert review and causation, and typically carry higher damages. See the Settlement Data & Methodology hub for how these ranges are compiled.