Can amending a pleading save a statute of limitations from expiring?

A claim can indeed be saved from expiring under the statute of limitations through an amendment, provided the original claim shares a close relationship with the new or amended claim. This principle is often encapsulated in rules related to relation back of amendments. Specifically, if the amendment arises from the same conduct, transaction, or occurrence as the original pleading, it can relate back to the time of the original filing. This means that even if the original statute of limitations would have expired, the timely filing of the original complaint allows the amended claim to be considered as filed within the limitations period.

The other choices do not accurately reflect the legal principles surrounding this issue. For instance, indicating that amendments do not affect statutes of limitation overlooks the possibility of relation back. The notion that only amendments within the same year would apply is overly restrictive, as it does not consider the underlying legal principles that allow for a broader interpretation of related claims. Lastly, asserting that new claims must be added for an amendment to relate back fails to account for amendments that may clarify or modify existing claims rather than introduce entirely new ones.