Opinion ID: 2645882
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Commencement of an Action

Text: Mr. Rajvongs’ initial action was voluntarily dismissed on November 13, 2009. The saving statute permits a plaintiff to renew a lawsuit that was dismissed without concluding the plaintiff’s right of action. Cronin v. Howe, 906 S.W.2d 910, 912 (Tenn. 1995). The -3- saving statute provides that if a timely filed action is dismissed without prejudice, a plaintiff may “commence a new action within one (1) year after” the dismissal. Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-1-105(a). If a new action is not commenced within one year from the date of dismissal, it is time-barred. Old Hickory Eng’g & Mach. Co. v. Henry, 937 S.W.2d 782, 784 (Tenn. 1996). Because Mr. Rajvongs’ first action was dismissed on November 13, 2009, the saving statute extended his time for commencing a new action to November 13, 2010. Mr. Rajvongs, however, did not file his second action on or before November 13, 2010. Instead, he provided pre-suit notice on October 21, 2010, and filed his second health care liability complaint on February 18, 2011, approximately three months after the expiration of the one year provided by the saving statute. We must therefore determine whether the October 21, 2010 pre-suit notice commenced a new action. To determine the effect of providing pre-suit notice on the commencement of a civil action, we first look to the Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure, which are promulgated by this Court to govern the practice and procedure of our state courts. State v. Mallard, 40 S.W.3d 473, 481 (Tenn. 2001). Tennessee Rule of Civil Procedure 3 provides that “[a]ll civil actions are commenced by filing a complaint with the clerk of the court.” Whether process is returned served or unserved, an action is commenced within the meaning of any statute of limitations when a complaint is filed. Tenn. R. Civ. P. 3; Old Hickory, 937 S.W.2d at 784-85. We next examine the language of the pre-suit notice requirement of the Act to determine whether the statute requiring pre-suit notice alters the traditional definition of the commencement of an action. Tennessee Code Annotated section 29-26-121(a)(1) provides: Any person, or that person’s authorized agent, asserting a potential claim for health care liability shall give written notice of the potential claim to each health care provider that will be a named defendant at least sixty (60) days before the filing of a complaint based upon health care liability in any court of this state. Our task in interpreting a rule or statute is to determine the drafter’s intent by reading the plain language of the rule in the context in which it appears. Lee Med., Inc. v. Beecher, 312 S.W.3d 515, 526 (Tenn. 2010). We review the interpretation of rules and statutes de novo with no presumption of correctness given to lower court opinions. See, e.g., Mills v. Fulmarque, Inc., 360 S.W.3d 362, 366 (Tenn. 2012); Lacy v. Cox, 152 S.W.3d 480, 483 (Tenn. 2004). We will not look beyond the plain language of a rule if the language is unambiguous. Lee Med, Inc., 312 S.W.3d at 527. When statutory provisions appear to -4- conflict, however, our duty is to construe the provisions to ensure their harmonious operation. Hill v. City of Germantown, 31 S.W.3d 234, 238 (Tenn. 2000). The plain language of Tennessee Code Annotated section 29-26-121(a)(1) reinforces Tennessee Rule of Civil Procedure 3. The pre-suit notice requirement directs a plaintiff to “give written notice of the potential claim [for health care liability]” to each defendant “at least sixty (60) days before the filing of a complaint.” The statutory language, “potential claim,” draws a distinction between a potential health care liability claim and the complaint that is filed to commence an action. Providing notice “at least sixty (60) days before the filing of a complaint,” indicates that the complaint, not the notice, is the defining event for commencement of a civil action. Moreover, the plain language of section 29-26-121(a)(1) does not address the commencement of an action. The plaintiff is required to provide pre-suit notice sixty days prior to filing a complaint. See Myers v. AMISUB (SFH), Inc., 382 S.W.3d 300, 309 (Tenn. 2012) (holding that the pre-suit notice requirement is mandatory and may not be satisfied by substantial compliance). The pre-suit notice requirement of section 29-26-121(a)(1), however, does not alter the traditional definition of the commencement of an action. We therefore conclude that a health care liability action is commenced by filing a complaint in accordance with Rule 3. Accordingly, Mr. Rajvongs’ action was commenced when he filed his second complaint in the Circuit Court for Rutherford County on February 18, 2011, which was outside the one-year period of the saving statute.