Opinion ID: 1714104
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Failure to File Timely the Complaint after Voluntary Dismissal

Text: ¶ 29. Memorial Hospital argues that, even if the notice of claim was timely filed, the Moores' claims against it are barred by the one-year statute of limitations. If the Moores' cause of action against Memorial Hospital accrued on August 31, 1998, under the MTCA one-year statute of limitations, they had until August 31, 1999, to file their complaint against Memorial Hospital. The first complaint was filed on December 31, 1998, but then the complaint was voluntarily dismissed against Memorial Hospital on May 20, 1999. Memorial Hospital received a statutory notice of claim from the Moores on June 9, 1999. Under § 11-46-11(3), [8] the one-year statute of limitations is tolled for 120 days after the filing of the notice of claim. Therefore, if the cause of action accrued on August 31, 1998, the amended complaint which was filed on December 16, 1999, was timely.