People's Justice

Rhode Island · Medical malpractice claims: harm and next steps

Medical malpractice claims: harm and next steps in Rhode Island

See If You Qualify

Free · No obligation · About 2 minutes

Filing deadline3 years from discovery; Affidavit of Merit requiredR.I.G.L. § 9-1-14.1

Deadlines vary with the facts of each case. A lawyer can confirm yours.

Updated

01 · Your filing deadline

What is the deadline in Rhode Island?

R.I.G.L. § 9-1-14.1: 3-year SOL from the incident, or 3 years from when it should have been discovered if not discoverable at the time; no explicit repose. Minors: may sue at any time up to age 21. A lawyer can confirm yours.

3 years from discovery; Affidavit of Merit required

Source: R.I.G.L. § 9-1-14.1

Deadlines vary; a lawyer can confirm yours. An older diagnosis or a past filing window does not, by itself, establish whether you have a claim.

Woman on the phone on her sofa, smiling
A lawyer can check which filing rules apply to your circumstances.

02 · Where cases are heard

Where would my case be heard?

Rhode Island has a 3-year statute of limitations for medical malpractice from the date the patient discovered or should have discovered the injury. There is no hard statute of repose, but the discovery rule is limited. Rhode Island has no cap on malpractice damages. Rhode Island requires the plaintiff to file an Affidavit of Merit with the complaint, attesting that a qualified healthcare professional has reviewed the matter and believes the care deviated from the standard.

Medical facilities in Rhode Island

  • Rhode Island Hospital — Level I Trauma Center

How this works nationally

For the overall process and updates, read the Medical malpractice claims: harm and next steps overview. This page covers the local information available for Rhode Island.

What happens when I check?

You answer a few short questions about what happened. If you send them, your answers are kept on file. If a participating law firm takes these cases, it may contact you. People's Justice is not a law firm.

Live in Rhode Island? Read what applies in your state.

Register your interest. If a participating law firm takes these cases, it may contact you.

Register your interest

Sources

  1. R.I.G.L. § 9-1-14.1