I am starting this petition as one of many victims of medical malpractice denied justice due to 'statute of limitation' laws in the United States.

'Statute of limitation' laws set a deadline for victims to file a lawsuit, supposedly to prevent 'frivolous' legal actions and 'outdated' evidence. Yet these laws do exactly the opposite, preventing credible lawsuits from being filed due to their unreasonable constraints.

Such laws are absurd for instances of medical malpractice and negligence because healthcare providers must keep detailed records of their patients' treatments. The evidence in these records has no expiration date, and they are exactly how I discovered that malpractice happened to me almost four years after the fact.

For example, the 'statute of limitation' in Ohio - where I was a victim of malpractice in 2020 - is only one year. This fails to consider financial, mental, and physical hardships that prevent victims from filing a lawsuit. A single year is an unreasonable time limit after the devastation caused by malpractice and the medical emergency itself, especially for low-income victims and marginalized communities.

So many Americans like myself are unable to find legal representation to remedy injustices due to barriers like socio-economic status, and even less so within the time frame of 'statutes of limitation.'

The only remaining option is filing pro se, which is to represent oneself in court. Even with a college degree, the amount of research, paperwork, and court hearings would be overwhelming without an attorney, all in addition to trying to make ends meet. This would be even less realistic for victims who have not had the opportunity to further their education.

I know with certainty I am far from the only person who has experienced this. My story is just one of thousands, if not millions, of Americans denied their day in court.

The American legal system is failing victims of medical malpractice and negligence. Left unresolved, Americans will increasingly be prevented from seeking just compensation for harm caused by reckless healthcare providers. This lack of accountability is reinforced by lobbyists who represent insurance companies and healthcare executives, all who care more about profiting from medical emergencies than the patients they are supposed to help.

This country is supposed to be governed of, by, and for the people - not by career lobbyists or the corrupt business executives they represent.

If we the people do not hold these institutions and our government accountable now, they will continue to abuse their power and make seeking justice increasingly difficult.

Every victim deserves to be guaranteed their right to take their case to court, and we deserve our cases to be evaluated based upon the factual evidence at hand - not on the basis of an arbitrary deadline set by 'statute of limitation' laws.