Opinion ID: 1215856
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: equal protection guaranties

Text: The plaintiffs also assert that the claims filing ordinance violates the equal protection guaranties found in Const. art. 1, § 12 and the Fourteenth Amendment. The plaintiffs argue that no valid reason exists to make tort victims of the government wait 60 days before filing suit when other victims of torts committed by private persons may file suit immediately. The detrimental effect to the plaintiffs of the 60-day period is particularly strong in this case, as cases filed after August 1, 1986, are subject to the new Tort Reform Act. Thus, individuals injured by a governmental agency after June 1, but before August 1 (or individuals such as the plaintiffs in these actions who did not file a claim before June 1) are treated differently from individuals injured by a private tortfeasor. The plaintiffs assert that this difference violates equal protection guaranties. As a preliminary matter, the parties argue as to what the proper standard of review should be. If an ordinance creates a suspect classification, such as one based on race or alienage, the statute will be subjected to strict scrutiny. Nielsen v. Washington State Bar Ass'n, 90 Wn.2d 818, 820, 585 P.2d 1191 (1978). Statutes and ordinances which do not affect fundamental rights or create suspect classifications are generally subjected to minimal judicial scrutiny. Petersen v. State, 100 Wn.2d 421, 444, 671 P.2d 230 (1983). This minimal scrutiny test simply requires that the legislation involved be rationally related to the achievement of a legitimate state interest. Nielsen, at 820. In some cases, which do not involve fundamental rights, but involve important or basic human rights, this court has adopted an intermediate level of scrutiny. See, e.g., State v. Phelan, 100 Wn.2d 508, 671 P.2d 1212 (1983) (intermediate scrutiny of rules affecting presentence jail time credits). This test requires that the challenged law may be viewed as furthering a substantial interest of the State. Phelan, at 512. The plaintiffs claim their basic right of being fully compensated for their injuries would be severely affected by their being required to proceed under the new Tort Reform Act. They point to the decision in Hunter v. North Mason High Sch., 85 Wn.2d 810, 814, 539 P.2d 845 (1975), which held [t]he right to be indemnified for personal injuries is a substantial property right, not only of monetary value but in many cases fundamental to the injured person's physical well-being and ability to continue to live a decent life. The decision in Hunter went on to invalidate on equal protection grounds a claims filing statute that shortened the statute of limitations. Significantly, however, the opinion did not specify which standard of review it applied. [2] The more recent decisions surrounding claims filing ordinances and statutes appear to follow a minimal scrutiny standard of review. See, e.g., Coulter v. State, 93 Wn.2d 205, 608 P.2d 261 (1980). However, a theme which is common to all cases dealing with claims filing laws is that there is never a rational basis to distinguish between private and public tortfeasors, and that no substantial hurdle may be imposed on an individual's ability to sue a governmental tortfeasor. As this court held in Hall v. Niemer, supra at 581: Read consistently, [the decisions in] Hunter, Jenkins, and Coulter stand for the proposition that reasonable procedural burdens may be placed on governmental tort victims as long as such burdens are not substantial and do not constitute a real impediment to relief for governmental tort victims. The question before this court therefore is focused on whether this claims filing requirement imposes a real impediment to relief. If it does impose such an impediment, then regardless of the standard of review used, the statute will violate equal protection guaranties. It is clear that the ordinance does affect the amount of damages the plaintiffs may recover. However, it does not affect the plaintiffs' right to institute a lawsuit, and the ordinance was not enacted to accelerate the date on which the Tort Reform Act would become effective. Furthermore, as this court held in dicta, in Hall: the 60-day buffer period between filing a claim and suit is reasonably related to achieving negotiation and settlement. As long as such a provision does not shorten the statute of limitations for bringing such suits, they would be valid ... (Italics ours.) Hall, at 584 n. 4. The Hall decision indicates that as long as the plaintiff can seek redress in the courts, a short waiting period before a suit can be brought is permissible. [3] Moreover, in an analogous situation, we held that a tortfeasor has no vested right to a common law bar to recovery. Thus, in Godfrey v. State, 84 Wn.2d 959, 530 P.2d 630 (1975), we held that the statute which abolished contributory negligence as a defense, former RCW 4.22.010, could apply to torts committed before the statute became effective. Equally true, we believe, is that a tort victim has no right to recover under the old common law system, even if the new Tort Reform Act would adversely affect the total amount he or she would receive as damages. The mere fact that an ordinance which otherwise effectuates a valid state interest causes a delay which thereby changes whether the plaintiff can proceed under the new tort system or the old one, does not violate the plaintiffs' equal protection or due process rights.