Limitations periods by claim type
New York sets different periods for written contracts, sale-of-goods claims, personal injury, property damage, fraud, professional malpractice and consumer credit debt, among others. Two claims arising from the same event can have different deadlines. Because the exact period and its accrual date determine whether a claim survives, confirm both against the current statute before assuming you have time.
When the clock starts
Generally at accrual — the moment the claim could first be brought. Fraud has a discovery component; continuing-treatment and continuing-wrong doctrines can extend certain claims; and payments or written acknowledgments can affect some debt claims. These doctrines are narrower than litigants hope, and relying on them without analysis is risky.
Contractual deadlines
Contracts often shorten the time to sue, require notice of a claim within a set period, or impose a cure process before suit. Courts enforce reasonable provisions of this kind. Before filing, read the contract for notice-and-cure, limitation-of-actions and dispute-resolution clauses — skipping one is a common basis for dismissal.
The deadlines after filing
Service within the statutory window. The answer within the applicable period. Discovery per the conference order. Summary judgment within the days allowed after the note of issue. Notice of appeal within the period after notice of entry. Motion to vacate a default within the applicable window. Build these into a calendar at the start of every case.