Deadline changes for domestic violence injury suits
ALBANY, N.Y. >> Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation to increase the statute of limitations for civil suits related to injury caused by domestic violence to two years.
The bill, which takes effect immediately, takes place just in advance of the month of October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness month.
The current law stipulates that civil suits for domestic violence must be initiated within one year after the incident, with the law failing to take into consideration the highly emotional and extremely difficult factors involved in domestic violence situations that often prevent survivors from making the decision to initiate a civil suit.
The new law recognizes the sensitive nature of domestic violence and affords victims two years to initiate a civil suit against their abuser.
“The trauma of domestic violence can take years to overcome, and frankly one year isn’t enough time for survivors to come to terms with what happened to them and to take action against their attacker,” Cuomo said.
“This new measure will help address this injustice, providing victims more time to file a lawsuit and ensuring people who are guilty of domestic violence are held accountable.”
Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul said she is pleased with the bill.
“My mother dedicated her life to helping survivors of domestic violence, and her work has inspired me during my time in public service,” Hochul said.
“This legislation continues to
build on our efforts to protect and support victims of domestic violence. We want to make sure individuals have the time and resources they need to hold their abusers accountable and help with recovery. New York continues to lead the way to protect the most vulnerable, eliminate injustice, and strengthen our society.”
As part of the 2019 Women’s Justice Agenda, Governor Cuomo made justice for domestic violence survivors a top priority and signed the Domestic Violence Justice Survivors Act into law, allowing New York to take critical steps toward addressing the years of injustice faced by survivors whose lives have been shattered by abuse and make it less likely that survivors will be re-victimized or re-incarcerated.