Title: Looney v. Bolt

State: arkansas

Issuer: Arkansas Supreme Court

Document:

Sybil LOONEY, Executrix of the Estate of
Calor Chamberlain, Deceased v. Dr. Michael
BOLT, Dr. Munir M. Zufari, and Health
Management, Inc., D/B/A Crawford Memorial
Hospital

96-1504                                            ___ S.W.2d ___

                    Supreme Court of Arkansas
               Opinion delivered November 13, 1997


1.   Physicians & surgeons -- Medical Malpractice Act -- when
     applicable. -- The Medical Malpractice Act applies to all
     causes of action for medical injuries accruing after April 2,
     1979; regarding such causes of action, the Act supersedes any
     inconsistent provision of law.

2.   Limitation of actions -- two-year limitation period of Medical
     Malpractice Act conflicts with three-year limitation period of
     Wrongful Death Act -- which controls. -- The Medical
     Malpractice Act's two-year limitations period conflicts with
     the three-year limitations period provided under the Wrongful
     Death Act and is therefore controlling where death ensues from
     medical injuries.

3.   Appeal & error -- overruled supreme court decision treated as
     if it had never existed. -- A decision of the supreme court,
     when overruled, stands as though it had never been.

4.   Physicians & surgeons -- application of proper statue of
     limitations --  Brown I and Brown III cases offered no
     precedent for appellant. -- Appellant estate's argument that
     it justifiably relied on the supreme court's earlier decision
     in Brown v. St. Paul Mercury Ins. Co., 292 Ark. 558,