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ARTICLE · 13 FEBRUARY 2026

The AVOID Act: A New Timeline For Liability In New York Construction Projects

Seyfarth Shaw LLP
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By April 18, 2026, New York construction litigation will operate on a faster—and far less forgiving—timeline.

United StatesReal Estate and Construction
Meghan Douris
Meghan Douris
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By April 18, 2026, New York construction litigation will operate on a faster—and far less forgiving—timeline. The Avoiding Vexatious Overuse of Impleading to Delay (the "AVOID Act"), signed into law on December 19, 2025, fundamentally rewrites third‑party practice under CPLR § 1007 by imposing strict deadlines to bring subcontractors, suppliers, and other responsible parties into a case.

For owners, developers, general contractors, and their in‑house counsel, this change will shift risk assessment, contract enforcement, and litigation strategy to the very front end of a claim—particularly in New York Labor Law and construction defect cases.

What Changed—and Why It Matters to Construction Cases

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