Opinion ID: 1869666
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: negligent surgery claim

Text: The court of appeals determined that the second retinal detachment occurred some time between the November 1992 surgery and Moss's yearly office visit in November 1994. 7 S.W.3d at 692. Consequently, the court of appeals concluded that the tort date is unascertainable, and thus, it applied section 10.01's course-of treatment completion doctrine to determine the date when limitations began to run. 7 S.W.3d at 692. We disagree with the court of appeals' analysis. Moss's petition alleges two claims: negligent surgery and negligent follow-up treatment. The date Dr. Shah removed the scleral buckle is knownNovember 28, 1992. Thus, the court of appeals erroneously applied a course-of-treatment analysis to conclude that limitations does not bar Moss's negligent-surgery claim. See 7 S.W.3d at 692. When the date of the alleged tort or breach is ascertainable, limitations begins to run from that date. Husain, 964 S.W.2d at 919; Kimball, 741 S.W.2d at 372. This rule applies even if the exact date on which the injury occurred is unknown. Husain, 964 S.W.2d at 919. If the date the doctor's alleged negligence took place can be ascertained, then there are no doubts to resolve and we must measure limitations from that date. Husain, 964 S.W.2d at 919. Here, because the alleged negligent-surgery tort date is ascertainable, and because Moss did not file suit within two years of that date, article 4590i section 10.01 bars Moss's negligent surgery claim.