Case Name: OPHELIA DAWSON v. ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY
Court: North Carolina Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: North Carolina
Decision Date: 1992-07-07
Citations: 106 N.C. App. 691
Docket Number: No. 9110SC433
Parties: OPHELIA DAWSON v. ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY
Judges: Judge LEWIS concurs.
Reporter: North Carolina Court of Appeals Reports
Volume: 106
Pages: 691–695

Head Matter:
OPHELIA DAWSON v. ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY
No. 9110SC433
(Filed 7 July 1992)
Rules of Civil Procedure § 41.2 (NCI3d)— failure to state claim-dismissal — adjudication upon merits
A dismissal of plaintiff’s initial complaint for failure to state a claim operated as an adjudication upon the merits in the absence of a contrary specification in the order of dismissal, and the trial court should have allowed defendant’s motion to dismiss plaintiff’s refiled complaint. N.C.G.S. § 1A-1, Rules 12(b)(6) and 41(b).
Am Jur 2d, Judgments § 495.
Judge WYNN concurring.
Appeal by plaintiff from order entered 27 February 1991 by Judge Donald W. Stephens in WAKE County Superior Court. Heard in the Court of Appeals 10 March 1992.
Defendant filed a motion for summary judgment. The trial court granted the motion and dismissed plaintiff’s claim. From this judgment plaintiff appeals.
Nathaniel Currie for plaintiff appellant.
Law Offices of Robert E. Smith, by Robert E. Smith, for defendant appellee.

Opinion:
ARNOLD, Judge.
There is a cross assignment of error which is dispositive of this case. Defendant correctly argues that the trial court erred in denying its motion to dismiss plaintiff's refiled complaint. Plaintiff's initial complaint was dismissed for failure to state a claim. See N.C.R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6). "Unless the court in its order for dismissal otherwise specifies," a dismissal for failure to state a claim "operates as an adjudication upon the merits." N.C.R. Civ. P. 41(b). Therefore, we hold defendant's motion to dismiss plaintiff's refiled complaint should have been allowed.
For the reasons stated, judgment is vacated and the matter is remanded for entry of order dismissing the refiled complaint.
Vacated and remanded.
Judge LEWIS concurs.
Judge WYNN concurs with separate opinion.