Opinion ID: 1818626
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The statute of limitations in MTCA cases.

Text: ¶ 18. There is no dispute that, because both defendants fall within the definition of a political subdivision of the state, this case is governed by the provisions of the MTCA. Thus, we begin our analysis by setting forth the relevant statutory language: (3) All actions brought under the provisions of this chapter shall be commenced within one (1) year next after the date of the tortious, wrongful or otherwise actionable conduct on which the liability phase of the action is based, and not after.... (4) [I]f any person entitled to bring any action under this chapter shall, at the time at which the cause of action accrued, be under the disability of infancy or unsoundness of mind, he may bring the action within the time allowed in this section after his disability shall be removed.... Miss.Code Ann. § 11-46-11 (Rev.2002). ¶ 19. The statute's language describes the beginning of the limitation period as the date of the tortious, wrongful or otherwise actionable conduct on which the liability phase of the action is based. Id. The three terms, tortious, wrongful, and otherwise actionable are particularly troublesome because they are not synonymous. ¶ 20. Focusing only on the date of the wrongful conduct leads to the inescapable conclusion that the limitation period begins on the date of the acts which led to the lawsuit. Thus, we would look only to the date of Dr. Yarbrough's alleged negligent act, ignoring for purposes of the analysis the date of any resulting injuries or damages. But both Mrs. Caves and amici have argued that we must also consider the meaning of tortious and actionable. ¶ 21. A tort is a civil wrong, other than breach of contract, for which a remedy may be obtained, usually in the form of damages. Black's Law Dictionary, 1247 (8th ed.2004). In order to mature into a tort, the negligent act must proximately produce recoverable damages. Methodist Hosp. of Miss. Annual Conference v. Gammel, 252 Miss. 229, 172 So.2d 762 (1965). Thus, focusing on tortious and actionable requires that we look past the date of the wrongful conduct to the earliest date all of the necessary elements of a tort claim were present, remembering that damages may not manifest until long after the wrongful conduct. For instance, a doctor might apply thirty stitches where thirty-five are called for under the appropriate standard of care. Thus, the doctor's conduct would be wrongful in that it fell short of the appropriate standard of care. But absent any damage or harm proximately caused by the breach, there is no tort and the breach is not actionable. ¶ 22. Because the three terms listed in the statute are ambiguous, we must look for clues to the intended meaning and most reasonable application. We are assisted in our effort by the language included in the statute's next subsection, which specifically references the time at which the cause of action accrued. Miss.Code Ann. § 11-46-11(4) (Rev.2002). Although this subsection has no direct application to today's case, it is helpful in illuminating the intent of the statute in its entirety. Subsection four's employment of the cause of action accrued language is more consistent with an interpretation of subsection three, which holds that the limitation period begins on the earliest date all of the elements of a tort are present. We therefore hold that, in applying the statutory language of the MTCA, the statute of limitations for claims thereunder begins to run when all the elements of a tort, or cause of action, are present. ¶ 23. In applying this interpretation to today's case, and (for summary judgment purposes) giving the plaintiff the benefit of every reasonable doubt, we note that all of the elements of all claims were present, at least by April 17, 2000, when Mr. Caves died. [7] Since notice was not provided until February 13, 2002, the suit was time-barred, unless application of a discovery rule delayed the beginning of the running of the limitations period until at least February 13, 2001.