What This Statute Says
This section creates an extended civil window for victims who suffered injuries as minors from another person's negligent or intentional acts, including categories defined by reference to other Arizona statutes. The deadline runs twelve years from the victim's eighteenth birthday.
A. Notwithstanding sections 12-505, 12-511 and 12-542, an action for the recovery of damages that is based on either of the following shall be commenced within twelve years after the plaintiff reaches eighteen years of age and not afterward:
A.R.S. § 12-514When This Statute Comes Into Play
The twelve-year extension applies to:
- A young adult who is finally ready to pursue civil accountability for injuries suffered as a child.
- A family helping an adult child seek damages from an institution that failed to protect them.
- An estate or special needs trustee considering claims on behalf of a beneficiary whose disabilities arose from childhood injury.
What This Means for Arizona Families
Survivors of childhood injury and abuse often cannot pursue legal claims for many years. Trauma, financial barriers, and family pressure all delay the moment when a victim is ready to seek accountability. Arizona's twelve-year window from majority gives survivors a realistic chance to act.
If a family member has suffered a long-term injury rooted in childhood, do not assume the calendar has run out. The window in this section is one of the most generous in Arizona civil procedure. Our FAQ on guardianship and conservatorship in Arizona covers parallel protections when capacity is impaired. Civil recoveries for childhood injury frequently intersect with public benefits, and the careful use of a special needs trust can preserve eligibility for ALTCS or SSI while still funding care from the settlement. An Arizona attorney can coordinate the civil claim, the structured settlement, and the long-term estate plan so the survivor benefits from a recovery without losing essential support programs in the process.