Source: http://tennesseedefenselitigation.com/Default.aspx?topic=Statute%20of%20Repose
Timestamp: 2019-01-22 16:32:05
Document Index: 201586605

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 28', '§ 28', '§ 28', '§ 29', '§ 29', '§ 28', '§ 29', '§ 28', '§ 28', '§ 29', '§ 29', '§ 28', '§ 28', '§ 28', '§ 28', '§ 28', '§ 28']

Tennessee Defense Litigation: Statute of Repose
Topic: Statute of Repose
Does Four Year Statute of Repose in T.C.A. § 28-3-202 Bar Tennessee Construction Defect Claims When Project is Not Complete?
Posted on Jul 5 2015 2:42PM by Attorney, Jason A. Lee
The recent Tennessee Court of Appeals decision of Keith Gillis v. Covenant Health, 2015 WL 3563034 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2015) discussed the four year statute of repose found in T.C.A. § 28-3-202 for construction defect claims. This statute of repose is a very good way to defeat many construction defect claims in Tennessee. This particular case dealt with a situation where a radiology facility at Methodist Hospital was allegedly defectively constructed. Specifically, the walls around the radiology facilities required a certain amount of lead shielding but there was a portion of the walls that did not contain the necessary lead shield to protect individuals from exposure to excessive radiation. As a result, plaintiffs claimed they were exposed to excessive radiation and therefore they sued the construction company that failed to put in the necessary lead shielding.
The question therefore, in many cases, centers around how to determine the date of “substantial completion.” T.C.A. § 28-3-201(2) defines substantial completion as follows:
(2) “Substantial completion” means that degree of completion of a project, improvement, or a specified area or portion thereof (in accordance with the contract documents, as modified by any change orders agreed to by the parties) upon attainment of which the owner can use the same for the purpose for which it was intended; the date of substantial completion may be established by written agreement between the contractor and the owner.
TAGS: Construction Law, Statute of Repose Comments [0]
What is the Statute of Limitations for a Tennessee Medical Malpractice Cause of Action (Healthcare Liability Action)?
Posted on Jan 20 2014 2:32PM by Attorney, Jason A. Lee
Analysis: The statute of limitations for a medical malpractice cause of action (now known as a “healthcare liability action” due to recent changes in the Tennessee statutes) is one year as established by T.C.A. § 29-26-116. If the alleged injury is not discovered within the one year period then the period of limitations is one year from the date of the discovery of the alleged injury (this is known as the “discovery rule” which is applied to many different statutes of limitations in Tennessee). However, no cause of action can be brought greater than three years after the date of the negligent act or omission except when there is fraudulent concealment by the defendant. If there is fraudulent concealment then the case must be commenced within one year after the discovery that the cause of action exists. This three year time period is considered a statute of repose under Tennessee law and the “discovery rule” does not save a claim from being barred under this statute of repose under the plain language of this statute (unless fraudulent concealment is present as stated in the statute). <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
There is one other exception to the limitation time periods identified in this statute - when a foreign object is negligently left in the patient’s body. In this circumstance the statute of limitations is one year from the time the alleged injury is discovered or should have been discovered. This exception also applies to the three year statute of repose based on the plain language in the statute. (See also Bloomer v. Wellmont Holston Valley Medical Center, 299 F.Supp.2d 810 (E.D.Tenn. 2004)).
T.C.A. § 29-26-116(a) in totality provides as follows:
(a)(1) The statute of limitations in health care liability actions shall be one (1) year as set forth in § 28-3-104.
TAGS: Tennessee Medical Malpractice/Health Care Liability, Statute of Limitations, Statute of Repose Comments [0]
What is the Statute of Limitations and Statute of Repose for a Products Liability Cause of Action in Tennessee?
Posted on Jan 5 2014 10:00PM by Attorney, Jason A. Lee
Analysis: Under Tennessee law, as a general rule, the statute of limitations for a product liability cause of action is the same as what applies to a personal injury or injury to property cause of action. (See T.C.A. § 29-28-103). As a result, injuries to the person are subject to a one year statute of limitation for a products liability injury. (See T.C.A. § 28-3-104). Injuries to personal or real property are governed by the three year statute of limitations found in T.C.A. § 28-3-105. Regardless, all claims must be brought within 6 years of the date of injury as stated explicitly in T.C.A. § 29-28-103.
There is also a statute of repose found in T.C.A. § 29-28-103. This statute states the following (see the highlighted portion of the statute for the statute of repose language):
(a) Any action against a manufacturer or seller of a product for injury to person or property caused by its defective or unreasonably dangerous condition must be brought within the period fixed by §§ 28-3-104, 28-3-105, 28-3-202 and 47-2-725, but notwithstanding any exceptions to these provisions, it must be brought within six (6) years of the date of injury, in any event, the action must be brought within ten (10) years from the date on which the product was first purchased for use or consumption, or within one (1) year after the expiration of the anticipated life of the product, whichever is the shorter, except in the case of injury to minors whose action must be brought within a period of one (1) year after attaining the age of majority, whichever occurs sooner.
As a result, the outer limit for a products liability cause of action (the statute of repose) is ten years after the product was first purchased or within one year of the expiration of the anticipated life of the product – whichever is shorter. There is one exception to the statute...
TAGS: Defenses, Statute of Limitations, Statute of Repose, Products Liability Comments [2]
How are Tennessee Statutes of Limitations Applied when the Claimant is a Minor or Incompetent Person?
Posted on Nov 11 2013 10:18AM by Attorney, Jason A. Lee
Analysis: Statutes of limitations under Tennessee law are generally governed by Tennessee statute. A specific time period is outlined in the statute within which a cause of action must be filed after a specific event. However, there are certain exceptions to the statute of limitations in Tennessee. One such exception is when the person experiences “incapacity”. T.C.A. § 28-1-106 provides that if an individual, at the time a cause of action accrues, is under 18 years of age or is adjudicated incompetent then the statute of limitations is tolled (or put on hold) under their “legal rights” are restored. For someone who is a minor, their “legal rights” are restored at the age of 18. Their 18th birthday begins the time period for the original statute of limitations for the cause of action. For example, if a 15 year old minor is injured in an automobile accident, the one year statute of limitations for the personal injury action begins to run on their 18th birthday so they would have one year to file the cause of action from the date of their 18th birthday. However, if the statute of limitations is greater than three years then they are limited to only three years from the date of their 18th birthday (the date of the restoration of their “legal rights”). <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
For an individual who is adjudicated incompetent at the time the cause of action accrued, the statute of limitations begins to run from the date their “legal rights are restored” (that would be the date they became competent again). They can therefore commence the cause of action within the original statute of limitations from the date their legal rights are restored. They also have the same three year cap for any statute of limitations period that exceeds three years. T.C.A. § 28-1-106 in its entirety provides as follows:
If the person entitled to commence an action is, at the time the cause of action accrued, either under eighteen (18) years of age, or adjudicated incompetent, such person, or such person's representatives and privies, as the case may be, may commence the action, after legal rights are restored, within the time of limitation for the particular cause of action, unless it exceeds three (3) years, and in that case within three (3) years from restoration of legal rights.
TAGS: Defenses, Tennessee Medical Malpractice/Health Care Liability, Statute of Limitations, Statute of Repose Comments [0]
Construction Defect – Four year statute of repose from date of substantial completion
Posted on Sep 6 2012 8:46PM by Attorney, Jason A. Lee
has a four year statute of repose for construction defect claims, with some exceptions. A statute of repose bars a claim after a date certain and is different from a statute of limitations. A statute of limitations generally bars a claim a certain amount of time after the cause of action accrues. A statute of repose, however, generally bars a claim after a certain time period passes from an event other then the time the cause of action accrues. (See Wyatt v. A-Best Products Co., 924 S.W.2d 98, 102 (Tenn. Ct. App 1995) for a good discussion on the differences between the two). The Tennessee Court of Appeals has stated that “because a statute of repose sets the triggering event as something other than accrual, it can have the effect of barring a plaintiff's claim before it accrues, most typically before the plaintiff becomes aware of his or her injury.” Wyatt at 102. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
The statute of repose for construction defect claims is found in T.C.A. § 28-3-201 – T.C.A. § 28-3-205. This statute has some nuances that need to be considered in all cases involving construction defects. T.C.A. § 28-3-202 is the operative statute and provides as follows:
(emphasis added). As a result, there is a four year statute of repose which prevents a lawsuit for construction defect claims (as defined in the statute) unless the cause of action is commenced within four years after substantial completion of the improvement.
As a result, the definition of “substantial completion” is very important to determine when the four year time period begins to run.
TAGS: Defenses, Statute of Limitations, Construction Law, Statute of Repose Comments [0]