Opinion ID: 2076670
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Heading: Journey's Account Statute and Medical Malpractice

Text: Dr. Repay contends the Journey's Account Statute does not apply to medical malpractice actions, citing Guy v. Schuldt (1956), 236 Ind. 101, 138 N.E.2d 891. He argues that because the legislature drafted the medical malpractice statute after the Journey's Account Statute, the medical malpractice statute should control any conflict between the two. In Guy this Court concluded that a statutory provision extending the statute of limitations in instances of fraudulent concealment could not be an exception to the statute of limitations for medical malpractice claims because the fraudulent concealment statute predated the medical malpractice statute of limitations by nearly fifty years. Id. at 105, 138 N.E.2d at 893. The fraudulent concealment statute in Guy, however, is different from the statute in this case. The Journey's Account Statute is not an exception to the statute of limitations; it merely allows the continuation of a previous suit filed within the statute of limitations. If some conflict existed between the Journey's Account Statute and the medical malpractice statutes, we would have to reconcile the two. But there is no conflict. The medical malpractice statute of limitations applies to the filing of claims. The Journey's Account Statute presupposes the timely filing of a claim and applies in certain instances when the original claim fails. As Judge Garrard said, Both sections may be applied in toto with no conflict. Vesolowski, 505 N.E.2d at 133. Such an interpretation is consistent with the plain language and purpose of the statutes. The Journey's Account Statute does not specifically exclude medical malpractice actions and will provide relief from the running of a statute of limitations when the plaintiff meets the requirements of the statute.