February 2, 2018, New York, NY

The Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (“WBASNY”) extends a grateful thank you to Governor Andrew Cuomo for making Lavern’s Law the law of New York. The mission of WBASNY, the second largest bar association in the State of New York, is to advocate for legislation that promotes equal access to justice and gender equality. Passage of this law ensures equal access to justice for victims of a failure or a delay in diagnosing cancer. The failure or the delay in diagnosing cancer disproportionately affects women, as women are more vulnerable and at a higher risk for being a victim of this type of medical error in that women routinely undergo annual mammograms and other annual gynecological testing. Lavern’s Law, which is also known as the “date of discovery” rule, allows the statute of limitations to start to run from the date the victims learn or should have learned they have cancer. WBASNY appreciates Governor Cuomo’s pledge to look towards the future and thanks him for his leadership. Governor Cuomo’s commitment to protecting cancer patients and their families confirms his promise of a progressive agenda and demonstrates its delivery.