Case Name: CORLEY v. KRAWCZAK
Court: Michigan Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: Michigan
Decision Date: 1971-06-23
Citations: 34 Mich. App. 472
Docket Number: Docket No. 10116
Parties: CORLEY v. KRAWCZAK
Judges: Before: V. J. Brennan, P. J., and J. H. Gillis and T. M. Burns, JJ.
Reporter: Michigan appeals reports; cases decided in the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Volume: 34
Pages: 472–474

Head Matter:
CORLEY v. KRAWCZAK
Opinion of the Court
1. Dismissal and Nonsuit — No-Progress Dismissal.
A dismissal for no progress acts as an adjudication upon the merits of the action unless the court in its order specifically states otherwise (OCR 1963, 504.2).
Concurrence by T. M. Burns, J.
2. Dismissal and Nonsuit — No-Progress Dismissal.
A dismissal of an action for no progress acts as an adjudication upon the merits where the court’s order results from a motion made by the defendant and the order does not otherwise specify or state that it is without prejudice; however, a dismissal of an action for no progress which is handled ministerially by the court is not an adjudication upon the merits (GGR 1963, 501.3, 504.2).
Reference for Points in Headnotes
[1, 2] 24 Am Jur 2d, Dismissal, Discontinuance, and Nonsuit § 72 et seq.
Appeal from Wayne, Theodore R. Bohn, J.
Submitted Division 1 May 5, 1971, at Detroit.
(Docket No. 10116.)
Decided June 23, 1971.
Complaint by Henry Corley and Florence Corley against Leonard R. Krawczak and the Automobile Club of Michigan for damages for injuries suffered in an automobile collision. Summary judgment for defendants. Plaintiffs appeal.
Affirmed.
Beilinson & Doctoroff (Ronald D. Feldman, of counsel), for plaintiffs.
Sullivan, Sullivan, Ranger $ Ward (Richard A. Bone, of counsel), for defendant Krawczak.
Before: V. J. Brennan, P. J., and J. H. Gillis and T. M. Burns, JJ.

Opinion:
J. H. Gillis, J.
This is an appeal as of right from an order entered granting summary judgment for the defendants in a negligence case.
On January 3, 1963, plaintiff was seriously injured when struck by a wrecker operated by an employee of defendant Krawczak. As a result of this accident a suit was filed by plaintiffs against defendants on May 6, 1963. This first suit was dismissed by the trial court on November 10, 1967, for lack of progress after a motion to dismiss was filed by defendants. The dismissal of this first suit was appealed to this Court and was affirmed in Corley v. Krawczak (1969), 16 Mich App 176.
On February 19, 1970, plaintiffs filed a new lawsuit against defendants alleging the same cause of action as in the first suit. A motion for summary judgment was filed by defendants on the grounds that the dismissal of the first suit for no progress acted as an adjudication upon the merits under GCR 1963, 504.2. The trial court granted defendants' motion for summary judgment and plaintiffs appeal.
Plaintiffs argue on appeal that the prior dismissal did. not act as an adjudication upon the merits, so this subsequent action should not be barred.
GCR 1963, 504.2 states that a dismissal for no progress acts as an adjudication upon the merits of the action unless the court in its order specifically states otherwise. In the instant case the order of dismissal entered in the prior suit did not state that the dismissal was to be without prejudice. Therefore, under GCR 1963, 504.2, the prior dismissal acts as an adjudication upon the merits and bars this subsequent suit. Rose v. Rose (1968), 10 Mich App 233. See, also, Green v. Wayne Soap Company (1971), 33 Mich App 74.
Affirmed. Costs to appellee.
Y. J. Brennan, P. J., concurred.