Definition of Year and A Day Rule
At common law, death could not be attributed to defendant’s wrongful conduct unless it occurred within a year and a day of the conduct. The rationale for this rule was the lack of medical precision in determining cause after such a long period of time, coupled with the very real probability of an intervening cause being responsible for the death. In view of the medical advances of the twentieth century, it can be argued that the year and a day rule is obsolete and should be discarded. Although some jurisdictions have done this either by legislation or judicial decision, most jurisdictions have not. See Elliott v. Mills, Okl.Cr.App., 335 P.2d 1104.
That's the definition of Year and A Day Rule in Black's Law Dictionary 6th Edition. Courtesy of Cekhukum.com.
