Opinion ID: 1869666
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Heading: the texas constitution's open courts provision

Text: The Texas Constitution guarantees that persons bringing common-law claims will not unreasonably or arbitrarily be denied access to the courts. Tex. Const. art. 1, § 13 (All courts shall be open, and every person for an injury done him, in his lands, goods, person or reputation, shall have remedy by due course of law.); Earle, 998 S.W.2d at 889; Jennings v. Burgess, 917 S.W.2d 790, 793 (Tex.1996). A statute that unreasonably or arbitrarily abridges a person's right to obtain redress for injuries another person's harmful act causes is an unconstitutional due-course-of law violation. Earle, 998 S.W.2d at 889; Jennings, 917 S.W.2d at 793. Consequently, our Constitution's open courts provision protects a person from legislative acts that cut off a person's right to sue before there is a reasonable opportunity to discover the wrong and bring suit. Neagle v. Nelson, 685 S.W.2d 11, 12 (Tex.1985). And the Legislature cannot abrogate the right to bring a well-established common-law claim without showing that the statute's objectives and purposes outweigh denying the constitutionally guaranteed right of redress. Weiner v. Wasson, 900 S.W.2d 316, 318 (Tex.1995); Sax v. Votteler, 648 S.W.2d 661, 665-66 (Tex.1983). To establish an open courts violation in an article 4590i case, a litigant must first show a cognizable, common-law claim that article 4590i's limitations provision restricts. See Jennings, 917 S.W.2d at 793. Then, the litigant must show the restriction is unreasonable or arbitrary when balanced against the statute's purpose and basis. Jennings, 917 S.W.2d at 793; Sax, 648 S.W.2d at 666. The limitations provision in article 4590i section 10.01 does not violate the open courts guarantee if the plaintiff had a reasonable opportunity to discover the alleged wrong and bring suit before the limitations period expired. Earle, 998 S.W.2d at 888; Jennings, 917 S.W.2d at 794.