(a) For purposes of this section, "terrorist victim" means any individual who died or was injured as a consequence of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001, including persons who were present at the World Trade Center in New York City, New York, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, or at the site of the crash at Shanksville, Pennsylvania, or in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001, including members of the flight crew and passengers on American Airlines Flight 11, American Airlines Flight 77, United Airlines Flight 175, and United Airlines Flight 93, and who suffered physical harm or death as a result of any of the crashes, as defined in Section of Title 49 of the United States Code40101 and the related, applicable regulations, other than an individual identified by the Attorney General of the United States as a participant or conspirator in the terrorist-related aircraft crashes, or a representative or heir of such an individual.
§ 340.10.Injury Or Death of Terrorist Victim of September 11, 2001 Attacks
Title 2. Of the Time of Commencing Civil Actions · Chapter 3. The Time of Commencing Actions Other Than for the Recovery of Real Property · Enacted 2002 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 340.10 applies the ordinary two-year personal injury and wrongful death period of § 335.1 to victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and expressly revives any such claim that would otherwise have already lapsed.
Full Text of § 340.10
(b) The statute of limitations for injury or death set forth in Section 335.1 shall apply to any action brought for injury to, or for the death of, any terrorist victim described in subdivision (a) and caused by the wrongful act or neglect of another, regardless of whether that action lapsed or was otherwise barred by time under California law predating the passage of this section and Section 335.1.
Plain-English Summary
Section 340.10 doesn’t create its own new limitations period; it confirms which one applies to a defined group of victims. A “terrorist victim” is anyone who died or was injured in the September 11, 2001 attacks — present at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, or the Shanksville, Pennsylvania crash site, or aboard American Airlines Flights 11 or 77 or United Airlines Flights 175 or 93 — other than a person the U.S. Attorney General identified as a participant or conspirator in the attacks, or that person’s representative or heir.
For any action brought over such a victim’s injury or death, § 340.10 directs that the two-year period from § 335.1 applies, and it applies regardless of whether that action would otherwise have already lapsed or been time-barred under California law as it stood before this section and § 335.1 were enacted.
Frequently Asked Questions
What limitations period applies to civil claims by 9/11 victims in California?
The two-year personal injury and wrongful death period from § 335.1, which § 340.10 expressly applies to this defined group of victims.
Does § 340.10 revive claims that had already expired?
Yes. It applies regardless of whether the action would otherwise have lapsed or been barred by time under prior California law.
Amendment History
Added by Stats 2002 ch 448 (SB 688),s 4, eff. 1/1/2003.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: September 11 victim lawsuit statute of limitations California