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PLANTIFF ALLEGED FAILURE TO DIAGNOSE CANCER IN 2014 IN THIS MEDICAL MALPRACTICE ACTION; DESPITE THE ENACTMENT OF LAVERN’S LAW (CPLR 214-A) IN 2018, WHICH EXTENDED THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS FOR FAILURE TO DIAGNOSE CANCER BY VIRTUE OF ITS RETROACTIVE-APPLICATION AND REVIVAL PROVISIONS, THE ACTION WAS TIME-BARRED (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined plaintiff’s med mal action alleging failure to diagnose lung cancer based upon a CT scan in 2014 was time barred pursuant to the retroactive-application and revival limitations in CPRL 214-a, enacted on January 31, 2018 (called Lavern’s Law):

[Lavern’s Law] “appl[ies] to acts, omissions, or failures occurring within 2 years and 6 months prior to the effective date of this act, and not before” … . Thus, by its terms, the discovery toll in Lavern’s Law’s applies retroactively to causes of action that were not time-barred as of Lavern’s Law’s effective date, i.e., causes of action accruing on or after July 31, 2015. Plaintiff’s causes of action, which accrued on May 16, 2014, predate the earliest date to which Lavern’s Law’s retroactive discovery toll applies.

Lavern’s Law also provides for the revival of certain time-barred medical malpractice causes of action. Where a claim based on the negligent failure to diagnose cancer or a malignant tumor occurred and, “within ten months prior to the effective date of the act . . . became time-barred under any applicable limitations period then in effect, such action or claim may be commenced within six months of the effective date of the act . . . .” … . Therefore, a failure to diagnose cancer or malignant tumor cause of action that became time-barred between March 31, 2017 and January 31, 2018 may be revived if it is commenced no later than July 31, 2018 … . Because plaintiff’s claims became time-barred on November 16, 2016, the limited revival provision of the new law (for certain claims that became time-barred after March 31, 2017) does not avail her … .Ford v Lee, 2022 NY Slip Op 01414, First Dept 3-8-22

Practice Point: Lavern’s Law (CPLR 214-a, enacted in 2018) extended the statute of limitations for failure to diagnose cancer by virtue of its retroactive-application and revival provisions, neither of which applied to plaintiff here who alleged failure to diagnose in 2014.

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