§ 60-3509 Tolling of statute of limitations.

If you want to bring a malpractice claim through a screening panel before filing a lawsuit, you don't have to worry about running out of time while the panel does its work. Normally, you have a set deadline (called a statute of limitations) to file a lawsuit. This rule says that deadline gets paused as soon as you file a memorandum asking for a screening panel to be set up.

The deadline stays paused while the panel reviews your case. It only starts running again 30 days after the panel gives its written recommendation. This gives you extra time to decide whether to file a lawsuit after the panel process ends, instead of having your case get thrown out just because the panel took a while to finish.

This rule only applies to cases that haven't already been turned into a formal lawsuit in court. If you've already filed a petition in court, this pause doesn't apply the same way.