### IN THE COURT OF APP EALS OF TENNESS EE AT NAS HVILLE A ssi gne d on Br ie fs F eb ru ar y 14, 200 0

JAME S A. MOSS v

. VA ND ERB ILT U NIV ERS ITY M EDIC AL CEN TER

Appeal f rom the Chancer y Court for Davidson Cou nty No. 98-2852-I Ir vin H. Kilcrease , Jr., Chancellor

No. M1999- 01321-COA-R 3-CV - F iled Dece m ber 21, 2000

Pr o s e Pla int if

f a pp e a ls the dis mis sa l by

the tr ia l c ourt

of his c a se on the ba sis of fa ilure to a sse rt

a
c la im u po n w hic h r e lie f c an b e g ra nte d. We a ff

ir m th e a c tio n o f t

he tr ia l c ourt

. Tenn. R. App . P . 3 Appeal as of Right; Judgme nt of th e Chancer y Court Affi rm ed

W I L L I AM B. C A IN , J ., delivere d the opinion of the cour t, in which B EN H. C A N T RE LL , P.J ., M.S. and P ATR I C I A J. C O T T RE LL , J ., joined.

J ames A. Moss, Columbia, Tennesse e, Pro Se.

Steven E d wa rd Ander son, Nashville, Tenne ssee, f or the a ppellee, V ander

bilt University

Medica l Center.

OP IN ION

I t is dif fi c ult , if not imp os sib le , to gl e an fr om the re c or d b e fo re thi s Co ur t, w hat th e pr o s e pla int if f i s se e kin g and

up on wh a t f a c tua l ba sis he pr e dic a te s the c la im. Th e be st ho pe is t o s imp ly descr ibe seriatim the documents appea ring in this file.

First, we have a

copy o f t h e i n i t i al page of what might be c alled a c omplaint filed by Ap pe lla nt, Jame s An tho ny Mo ss, a g a ins t Ap pe lle e , V and e rb ilt Un ive rs ity

Me dic a l Ce nte r, on

Ap ri l 13 , 1 99 8, be fo re the Un ite d St a te s D istri c t Co ur t of the Mid dle Di str ic t of

Te nn e sse e , a

nd a pp a re ntl y filed on September

23, 1998 in t h e C h ancery Court of Davidson County , Tenne ssee. When de sc ri be d und e r t

he he a din g of

“ Ty pe of Ple a din g ” it s im pl y stat e s “ No tic e of F ili ng .” Th e on ly other stateme nt written on this document befor e the sig nature of Appe llant, J am es A. Moss is the statement in the body

of this initi al p age “A pplication for Child’s I nsuranc e B enef its - Survivor Claim.”-2-

The ne x t document is the final two pag es of a rec ommendation by Mag istrate Judge William J . Hay nes, Jr., under date of Aug ust 21, 1998, that the complaint be dismissed as leg ally frivolous under 28 U .S.C. section 1915(e)( 2).

The ne x t two pag es in the re cord a re ne arly indecipher able wi t h the only statement of f

act be ingthe a sse rt ion

tha t “ Jame s A . M os s h a s b e e n d isa ble d s inc e Ma

rc h 2 4, 19 64 .” I t f

ur the r a sse rt s that J ames R. Woodson died in 1979.

Next, is a copy of an authorization for the rele ase of information s igne d by Appellant on June 9, 1997 , an d ad d re s s ed to S t. Thomas Hospital. The fr ont pag e of this document indicates that A p p e ll an t w a s b o r

nM ay 1 0 , 1 9 5 1 an d

th a t h is s o c ia l s e c u r it

y n u mb e r is [R e d a c te d ].

There afte r appe ar f

our p age s of St. Thomas Hospital medical re cords e videncingsleep disorder e valuations by

St. Thomas Hosp i tal of Appe llant under dates of Nove mber 5, 1992, a nd Au g us t 3, 19 93 . T he dia g no sis in t he se tw o me dic a l r e po rt s in dic a te s n arc ole ps y , p e ri od ic lim b

mov e me nt d iso rd e r, idi op a thi c CN S hy pe rs omn ia , a

nd sle e p a pn e a/hy po pe na sy nd ro me . T he on ly mention in any

of the St. Thomas medical rec ords of Vande rbilt is the statement in the November 5, 19 92 , r e po rt

tha t “ [h]e state s th at he h a s h a d e xce ssi ve sle e pin e ss w hic h d a te s b a c k to e a rl y adolesc ence . He wa s ev al u ated at Vander bilt for that problem and w as plac ed on some sort of medication for

a short per iod of time.”

The ne x t document i n the record a nd the one pr oviding the most dec iphera ble information is an Application for

Child’s I nsuranc e Be nefits - - Survivor Claim filed with the Equal Employ ment Opportun i t y C o m m ission on Decembe r 11, 1996. The doc ument is unsigned but pr ovides the fo llo wi ngpe rt ine nt i nf

or ma tio n:

The de cea sed worke r’s name is J ames Richar d Woodson, J r.

T h e d e c e a s e d ’ s s o c ia l s e c u r it y n u mb e r is [R e d a c te d ].

The de cea sed’s date of birth is May 1, 1932.

The de cea sed’s date of de ath is May 2, 1979.

No pr e vio us a

ppli cat ion

ha s b e e n f

ile d w iththe Soc ia l Se c ur ity Administration by

or for the dec ease d.

My name is Ja me s A . M os s.

The c hild for whom this a pplication is being filed is J ames A. Moss, date of b ir th M ay 1 0 , 1 9 5 1 , SS N [R e d a c te d ].-3-

The ne x t pag e in the rec ord is a copy of an order in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tenne ssee, dated September 15 , 1 9 9 8 , approvingthe re commendation of the mag istrate judg e and dismissing the fede ral c ourt ca se as f rivolous under 28 U. S

. C

. section 1915(e) (2).

Th e ne xt pa g e in t

he re c or d is the a

pp are nt l a st p a g e of

an a pp licat io n for so c ia l se c ur ity be ne fi ts f or Ap pe lla nt fi le d Oc tob e r 12 , 19 89 , by Sus an D. Cla sb e y , a tto rn e y

. I n th is a pp lic a tio n is

wr i t t en i nl o n g h an d

t h e f o l l o wi n g:

There is a previously

unalleg ed mental or

neurolog ical impairment. When Mr . M os s w a s a

y oungc hil d, he be g an f

a lli nga sle e p in

sc ho ol. Mr . M os s sa

y s th is beg an af ter multiple bee sting s, his mother say s it star ted afte r he dra

nk an unknown substance. H e wa s treate d at Vande rbilt - - I have r equeste d the re cords. He now falls asleep as he sits for any leng th of time. He a lso ge ts freque nt severe heada ches on the left side.

Mr. Moss has neve r lived indepe ndently

. His mother say s he has ne ver dated and that his g rade s in sc hool w ere extremely low. He doesn’t reme mber whether he

wa s in sp e c ia l e du c a tio n c la sse s - I have re qu e ste d sc ho ol re c or ds . He is pro bab ly functionally

illit erate. He w as re

jected f or military

service (re ason unknown).

The nex t document in this file i s appar ently a copy of the fir st pag e of the Aug ust 21, 1998,

rec ommendation of dismissal by Mag istrate Judge William J . Hay nes, Jr., which appea

rs to have b ee nfi l edwi t h t h e Da v i d s o n C o u n t y C l er k an d M as t er o n S ep t em b er 2 1 , 1 9 9 8

. On t h i s fi rs tp age of the “ Report and Rec ommendation” of Ma g istrate Judge H ay nes appe ars the obse rvation:

Pla int if f, Jame s A nth on y Mo ss, a

Te nn e sse e re sid e nt, fi le d th is a c tio n a g a ins t the Vande rbilt Univer s it

y M edica l Center for

injuries he sustained a

rising f rom shock thera py that he re ceive d at the ce nter (D ocket Entry No. 1, Complaint at p. 2). Acc ording to his complaint, Moss rec eived this treatment for a sleeping disorder. Id. I n his complaint, Moss does not alleg e the feder al s tatute or provision of the fede ral constitution under which he i s p ro ce eding. Id. a t p. 1. At be st, g ive n th e se
a lle g a tio ns , his cl a im ap pe ars to be a me dic a l malp ra c tic e c la im that w ou ld b e a state law cla im.

None of the fe dera l complaint refe rre d to by Mag istrate J udg e Hay nes appea rs in the rec ord be fo re thi s Co ur

t.

Th e ne xt d oc ume nt in the fi le is a c op y of a le tte r date d Se pte mbe r 18 , 19 95 fr om D on a ld C

. Arbitblit, attorney

at law, San F ranc isco, California, a ddresse d to A ppellant, relative to an appa rent

c la ss a c tio n r e fe rr e d to in t he le tte r as the “ Va

nd e rb ilt Ra diatio n Cas e .” Th is l e tte r a dv ise s in pa rt :-4- At the pre sent time, we c annot predict the amount that may be re ceive d from other de fenda n t s re maining in the c ase ( Vande rbilt University and the Rocke feller Foundation), and we cannot pr edict whe n such amounts may be paid. As y ou may know, Vande rbilt and the Rockef eller F ou n d a ti o n h a v e r e s is te d settlement and foug ht very hard so f

ar t o es ca p e fr om the case . We have no indications that they are int e re ste d in se ttl ing or pa y ingany thi ng , a nd it w ill pr ob a

bly be y e ars be fo re the c a se is resolved.

Th e ne xt doc ume nt i s a tor n and pa rt ia lly ind e c iph e ra

ble c op y of an or de r by

Judg e Ec ho ls appar ently

on September 29, 1997, orig inally ref err ing the case to Ma g istrate J udg e Ha y nes in order to determine w hether

or not proce ss should iss ue.

Next in t he reco rd i s a co p y of an e x tensive application to be allowed to proc eed unde r pa up e r’ s o a th, a

pp are ntl y in t he fe de ra l c ourt

. Next follows a copy

of a September 21, 1998 Uniform Civil Affidavit of I ndige ncy filed by Ap pe lla nt.

Next is a Nove mber 4, 1998, Motion for De fault Judgement, ty ped and appar ently

prepa red by some knowledg eable individual reciting that the def endant wa s serve d with proce ss on September 24, 1998, and has f

ailed to answe r or other

wise def end the action on which basis the pl aintiff moves for judg ment by

defa ult. This document is signe d by Appellant pro se, with a n indication that the motion was scheduled to be hear d on Dec ember 11, 1998 at 9:00 a.m. in t h e C h an ce ry Court of D a v i d s o nC o u n t y , P artI.

Th e ne xt doc ume nt i s a No ve mbe r 2 0, 19 98 , M oti on to D ism iss fo r F a ilure to S ta te a Cla im or Alternatively

on the Applicable Statute of L imitations and S tatute of Repose. This document filed by a tto rn e y Ste ve n E . A nd e rs on

re pr e se nti ngVa

nd e rb ilt Un ive rs ity

Me dic a l Ce nte r s ta te s:

De fe nd ant V and e rb ilt

Un ive rsi ty Me dic a l Ce nte r h e re by mov e s to dis mis s Plaintiff’s eff

ort to making alleg ations ag ainst Vande rbilt. Plaintiff has attac hed a number of doc uments, including some f rom the United States District Court f or the Middle District of Tenne ssee, but ha s failed to se t f orth any fac ts setting for

th a leg al

c a u s e o f a c t i o n , a s r e qu i r e d

b y t h e T e n n e s s e e R

u l e s o f C i v i l P r o c e d

u r e

. A d d i t i o n a l l y, Plaintiff’s appar ent complaint is based on a cts or events whic h occur red in 1964. To the e xten t Plai nt if

f ha s st a te d a

ny c la ims , th e y

are ba rr e d e ith e r b y

the a pp lic a ble statute of l i m i t at i ons or the statute of r epose a pplicable to medica l malprac tice actions.

On Dec ember

10, 1998, an order of dismiss al was enter ed in the Davidson County Chance ry Court by Chance llor I rvin H. Kilcre ase, Jr., which orde r provided:-5- D e f e n d an t ’ s m o t i o n t o d i s m i s s f o r f a i l u r e t o s t a t e a c l a i m o r , a l t e r n a t i v e l y, based on the applicable statute of limitations and statute of repose , was filed on November

20, 1 9 9 8 and set for

hear ing on D ece mber 4, 1998. I t appea ring to the court that Plaintiff fa iled to respond or othe rwise oppose the m o t ion and that the motion is well-take n and should be g rante d,

I t is here by order ed that all of pl aintiff’s claims ag ainst defe ndant ar e her eby dismiss ed with pre

judice. Costs ar e taxed to plaintiff for which execution may issue i f n e c e s s ar y.

I t is from this Decembe r 10, 1998, orde r of dismissal that J ames A. Moss appe als pro se.

I n th is Court , af

te r a sho w ca

us e or de r w a s is su e d r e qu ir ingAp pe lla nt t o s ho w c a

us e wh y his appea l should not be dismi ssed for f ailure to file a

n appe l l an t ’s b ri ef, a

document wa s filed, hand written and pr o se, September 23, 1999.

T h i s d o c u m e n t , a

p p ar e n t l y i n t e n d e d

t o b e t h e b r i e f

o f t h e a p p e l l an t , s t a t e s i ni t s e n t i r e t y:

The re ason that Mr. Moss wishes for his case to r emain open is b ec ause he fe e ls a s if Va

nd e rb ilt Me dic a l Ce nte r is a t fa ult fo r his ne ur olo g ic a l imp a ir me nt in h is

e arl ie r y e ars le a din g to m any y e ars of dis a bil ity , a nd no t be inga

ble to f un c tio n w e ll in writing
, rea ding, and a few other mi nor t hings. Since his case w as thrown out for

so me un kn ow n r e a so n h e no w f e e ls a s if dis c ri min a tio n c ou ld be pla y ing a pa rt in t his

case . Since the ca se wa s not allowed to be he ard upon its g iven date.

Suc h in sy no ps is i s th e e nti re re c or d b e fo re thi s c ourt on a pp e a l.

Th e Cha nc e llo r w a s o bv iou sly

c or re c t in g ra nti ngthe mot ion to dis mis s fi le d b y De fe nd a nt. First of a ll, Rule 8.01 of t he Tennessee Rules of Civil P roce dure r equire s a complaint to contain “ (1) a short and pl ain s tatement of the claim showing that the pleade r is entitled to relief, a nd (2) a demand f or judg ment for the r elief the pleade r see ks.”

Makin g a ll a llo wa

nc e s for the pr o se status of the Ap pe lla nt thi s Cour

t is sim ply a t a los s to de c iph e r w hat he is try

ingto s ay . H e a sse rt s no fa c ts and de mand s no re lie f. Cle arl y , the mot ion to dis mis s is we ll t ake n und e r T e nn e sse e Rul e of Civ il Pr oc e dure 12 .0 2( 6) fo r fa ilure to s ta te a c la im upon which re lief ca

n be g rante d.

The a lternative g rounds for dismissal are also clea rly established. Wh at ev er may have ha pp e ne d to the pla int if

f a t V and e rb ilt

Me dic a l Ce nte r, ha

pp e ne d y e ars be fore at the l a te st, November

5, 1992, when the St. Thomas Hospital sleep disorder e valuation re cord indicated that he ha d p re vio us ly

be e n ev a luate d at V and e rb ilt . T his is t he on ly do c ume nt i n a ll o f t

ho se se t f or th i n his complaint that actually discusses t reatment at Vanderbilt. Even acce pting the 1992 date of the-6-

St. Thomas letter, both the one y ear statute of limit ations applicable to me dical malpra ctice a ctions and the thre e y ear

statute of repose applicable there to ha d expired. Tenn. Code Ann. § 29- 26-116.

Ne ith e r t h e t r i a l c o u rt n o r t h i s C o u rt c an p r o v i d e an y h e l p t o A p p e l l an t o n t h e b a s i s o f h is fi lin g s.
The judg ment of t he trial court dismiss ing the case is in all respec ts affirme d and costs ar e
a sse sse d a g a ins t App e lla

nt.

__________________________________________

WI L L I AM B. CAI

N, J UDGE