What does CPLR 3043 require in a Bill of Particulars?
Zachary Greenberg · September 7, 2026 · 3 min read
The answer
CPLR 3043(a) lists the particulars a defendant may demand from a plaintiff in a personal injury action: the date and approximate time of the occurrence, its approximate location, a general statement of the acts or omissions constituting the negligence claimed, whether actual or constructive notice is claimed and, if actual notice, when and to whom it was given, a statement of the injuries and a description of those claimed to be permanent, the length of time confined to bed and to house, the length of time incapacitated from employment, and the total amounts claimed as special damages for physician services, medical supplies, loss of earnings with the employer's name and address, hospital expenses, and nurse services. The bill amplifies the pleading; it does not add new theories or serve as evidence.
The short version
CPLR 3043 is the personal injury specific rule.1 The general Bill of Particulars rule is CPLR 3041, which lets any party demand a bill of any adverse party. Section 3043 narrows what a defendant in a personal injury case is entitled to ask for, and it does so as a list.
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The items in 3043(a), one at a time
Date and approximate time
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Approximate location
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General statement of the acts or omissions
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. This is the item that draws the most motion practice, because "general statement" and "evidentiary detail" are different things and defendants often demand the second under cover of the first.2
Notice, actual or constructive
Notice is a required item only where it is an element of the claim, which is why it appears in premises cases and rarely in auto cases. If actual notice is claimed, the bill also states when it was given and to whom.
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Injuries, and which are claimed to be permanent
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Confinement to bed and house
Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur.
Incapacity from employment
Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur.
Special damages
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What a plaintiff does not have to provide
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.3
What happens when the bill is deficient
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Supplemental bills under 3043(b)
Section 3043(b) lets a plaintiff serve a supplemental bill for continuing special damages and disabilities without leave of court, up to 30 days before trial, as long as it claims no new injury and alleges no new cause of action. The other side then gets seven days' notice and fresh discovery limited to those continuing items.4
How this plays out in a drafting workflow
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