Opinion ID: 2418639
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Martinez v. Humble Sand & Gravel

Text: Martinez sued the various defendants on August 13, 1992, alleging that he contracted silicosis while working as a sandblaster. Thus, under the applicable two-year statute of limitations, we must determine whether Martinez knew or should have known through the exercise of reasonable diligence about his injury and that it was likely work-related before August 13, 1990. Humble argues that Martinez's cause of action accrued in September 1989 when: (1) he was experiencing respiratory problems; (2) he knew he had been exposed to silica; (3) he knew that his brother, who was also a sandblaster, had silicosis and that his brother's illness was caused by breathing occupational dust; and (4) he asserted a worker's compensation claim alleging that he had a lung disease that first manifested itself on August 31, 1989. Martinez responds that September 1989 is not the proper date of accrual because a silicosis claim had no medical basis at that time, and he filed the claim only because he feared he must do so to avoid being time barred. Martinez proposes that the proper accrual date is September 23, 1991, when a doctor confirmed he had silicosis. Like Haussecker, Martinez suffered an injury more than two years before filing suit. In 1989, Martinez experienced shortness of breath and other respiratory problems that he associated with his work as a sandblaster. He also filed a workers' compensation claim that year alleging he had a lung disease that first manifested itself on August 31, 1989. According to Martinez, he applied for benefits as a precaution because he thought he might have the same illness as his brother, which he knew to be silicosis, and which he knew was caused by breathing occupational dust. The discovery rule, however, expressly requires a plaintiff to use reasonable diligence to investigate his injury. See, e.g., S.V., 933 S.W.2d at 4; Willis v. Maverick, 760 S.W.2d 642, 644 (Tex.1988); Bell v. Showa Denko K.K., 899 S.W.2d 749, 754 (Tex. App.Amarillo 1995, writ denied). Despite this directive, Martinez did not diligently seek medical advice about the nature of his injury and the potential causes. For example, he did not consult a doctor until September 1990, approximately a year after his breathing problems first appeared, even though he had filed a worker's compensation claim in September 1989 alleging he had a lung injury, and knew as early as 1985 that his brother, also a sandblaster, suffered from silicosis that was caused by inhaling occupational dust. Under these circumstances, a reasonably diligent person would have gone to a doctor about his suspected injuries in September 1989 or soon after. Consequently, Martinez should have sought medical advice diligently rather than sit idly for almost a year. [12] Martinez contends that his delay in seeking medical treatment was reasonable because he could not afford to visit a doctor until September 1990. However, we need not decide what affect Martinez's financial status would have on the tolling of accrual, if any, because the evidence in the record of Martinez's financial difficulties dates from when Martinez ceased working altogether sometime after March 1992. The record is bare of any evidence supporting Martinez's contention that he could not afford to pay for a doctor on his own before September 1990. Although the record reveals that Martinez failed to exercise reasonable diligence once he was apprised of facts that would incite a reasonably diligent person to seek information about his or her injuries and their likely causes, his claim is not time-barred as a matter of law. Humble Sand & Gravel did not offer any summary judgment evidence that a diligent investigation would have led Martinez to discover before August 13, 1990, that he suffered from an occupational illness. Consequently, a fact question remains with respect to whether Martinez knew or should have known through the exercise of reasonable diligence that his injury was likely work-related before August 13, 1990.