Opinion ID: 1510615
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Survival Act Claim

Text: Appellee's contention that appellant's original complaint did not include a claim under the Survival Act, D.C.Code 1973, § 12-101, is without foundation. Though the original complaint left much to be desired from the standpoint of form, it asserted that it was being brought under the Survival Act (among other statutory provisions) and, read as a whole, in light of the principles of notice pleading, it informed appellee of the existence of such a claim. See Super.Ct.Civ.R. 8(a). Furthermore, appellee's contention that the Survival Act claim was void ab initio because appellant was without capacity to assert that cause of action is without merit. D.C.Code 1973, § 12-101 permits rights of action which accrued to a deceased person before his death to survive or to be pursued by that person's legal representative. The underlying theory of appellee's position is that the Survival Act claim in the original complaint was a nullity because appellant was not yet administrator of his father's estate when the action was commenced. Thus, appellee asserts, essentially, that the term legal representative is synonymous with personal representative and that since appellant was not the decedent's personal representative at the time of the filing of the original complaint, the survival claim is barred by the statute of limitations. We believe that neither of these contentions is correct. First, appellee's narrow interpretation of the term legal representative is contrary to the law of this jurisdiction. Thomas v. Doyle, 88 U.S.App.D.C. 95, 187 F.2d 207 (1950). That decision holds that a legal representative under the Survival Act may be any person who, whether by virtue of testamentary act or operation of law, stands in the place of the decedent with respect to his property, [6] and that Congress did not intend to restrict the right to bring a survival action to duly appointed personal representatives, i. e., executors or administrators. [7] Hence, as an heir-at-law, appellant was a proper party to sue on the Survival Act claim at the time of the filing of the original complaint, although he had not then been qualified as administrator of his father's estate. Thomas v. Doyle, supra, at 98, 187 F.2d at 210. Moreover, even at the time the amended complaint was tendered, the Survival Act claim was timely since it was filed within three years after the decedent would have had a claim if he had lived. D.C.Code 1973, § 12-301(8). [8]