Opinion ID: 1430387
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the grant of summary judgment dismissing nabors

Text: In his amended complaint, Adkins did not allege that the statute of limitations had been tolled because of his incompetency. He first presented the issue in his memorandum in opposition to Nabors' motion to dismiss. Civil Rule 12(b) states that when matters outside the pleading are presented to and not excluded by the court, the motion shall be treated as one for summary judgment and disposed of as provided in Rule 56. Because Adkins argued matters outside the pleadings and introduced affidavits in an attempt to show his incompetency, and the court did not exclude the material, Nabors' Rule 12(b) motion should have been treated as one for summary judgment. [11] It is uncontested that the statute of limitations had run. Under Civil Rule 56(e), this would place the burden of resisting Nabors' motion on Adkins. The initial question, then, is what evidence was properly before the court before it ruled on the motion. The second question is whether this evidence was sufficient to present a genuine issue of fact as to the tolling of the statute. The general rule is that material submitted in support of, or in opposition to, a motion for summary judgment must set forth such facts as would be admissible in evidence. Alaska Rule Civ.P. 56(e); Jennings v. State, 566 P.2d 1304, 1309 (Alaska 1977). On June 6, Adkins filed a memorandum stating that his mental condition made it impossible for him to name defendant, Nabors, at a time within the statutory period. Attached to this memorandum, Adkins submitted two memoranda from Dr. Feller, and what appears to be the first page of an insurance adjustor's report. Nabors made timely objections to all this material, correctly noting that the attached documents were inadmissible because they were not verified. Concerned Citizens of South Kenai Peninsula v. Kenai Peninsula Borough, 527 P.2d 447, 450 (Alaska 1974); Douglas v. Beneficial Finance Co. of Anchorage, 334 F. Supp. 1166, 1169 (D.Alaska 1971). Adkins' unsupported statements in his memorandum are likewise inadmissible. United States v. Lot 800 in Square 1928, 169 F. Supp. 904, 908 (D.D.C. 1959), motion for leave to file pet. for relief den., 359 U.S. 987, 79 S.Ct. 1134, 3 L.Ed.2d 977 (1959). Adkins' lawyer next submitted his own affidavit. This includes statements allegedly made by Dr. Feller and Adkins. Neither statement is made on the personal knowledge of Adkins' lawyer and both are hearsay. For this reason, these statements could have been excluded. Twelve Hundred L Street Corp. v. Inlet Co., 438 P.2d 708, 710 (Alaska 1968); Hanke v. Global Van Lines, Inc., 533 F.2d 396, 398 (8th Cir.1976). But, it does not appear from the record that Nabors ever specifically objected to this affidavit, consequently defects may be treated as waived. Auto Drive-Away Co. of Hialeah, Inc. v. ICC, 360 F.2d 446, 448-49 (5th Cir.1966). After the hearing, Adkins' lawyer submitted the affidavits of himself, Norton Goff, Adkins and his wife. The four affidavits all suggest that Adkins suffered a severe head injury. Nabors strenuously objected to introduction of this material in the trial court and here. Its argument is that the trial judge granted Adkins a ten-day period of time beginning from the hearing date in which to file supplemental material. In Nabors' view, any material filed after this time was filed without permission of the court's order and was hence inadmissible. As discussed above, however, the trial judge's bench order is not entirely clear. At one point, the judge appeared to grant Adkins sixty days to file supplemental material, but later he seemed to imply that Adkins had only ten days. In Johnson v. Johnson, 544 P.2d 65, 69 n. 5 (Alaska 1975), we noted that all parts of an order must be read together. The two apparently contradictory deadlines can be harmonized by assuming that Adkins was given ten days to file a brief and sixty days to file other material. The trial judge properly appeared concerned that Adkins have a fair chance to present his case before granting Nabors' motion. The fact that the court did not sign the orders to strike submitted by Nabors favors this interpretation. Our conclusion is that these affidavits were properly before the court and should have been considered. Finally, Adkins submitted an affidavit from Dr. Feller, after the court had granted Nabors' motion to dismiss, and more than sixty days after the hearing on Nabors' motion. There is no question that the court did not consider this affidavit in deciding the motion, and it was not required to do so. Courts have interpreted liberally the type of mental condition that will toll a statute of limitations. The general test is whether a person could know or understand his legal rights sufficiently well to manage his personal affairs. [12] It does not require a formal finding of incompetency by a court. Courts in several jurisdictions have found persons incompetent who suffered serious head injuries. [13] Plaintiffs have engaged in a surprising amount of activity and still have successfully claimed to be incompetent under a tolling statute. This is especially true where a court would be required to hold as a matter of law that the plaintiff was competent, such as in a summary judgment motion or motion on the pleadings. In at least three cases, plaintiffs have retained attorneys, commenced actions prior to the limitations period and claimed the protection of a tolling statute to add an additional party after the limitations period. [14] A Michigan court noted that a plaintiff's mental condition might be such that, while somewhat aware, he is only partially aware of the circumstances entitling him to maintain an action; such a person may be only partially or imperfectly able to assist his lawyer in prosecuting the action. Davidson v. Baker-Vander Veen Construction Co., 35 Mich. App. 293, 192 N.W.2d 312, 319 (1971). In addition to retaining lawyers and starting lawsuits within the limitations period, plaintiffs have been allowed to claim incompetency where they have worked for good wages, 192 N.W.2d at 316, and had children. Valisano v. Chicago & N.W. Railroad Co., 247 Mich. 301, 225 N.W. 607 (1929). They have been allowed to file for and obtain workmen's compensation benefits and Social Security payments. Hill v. Clark Equipment Co., 42 Mich. App. 405, 202 N.W.2d 530 (1972). The affidavit of Norton Goff indicates that Adkins suffered a severe head injury. The admissible evidence from Dr. Feller indicates that Adkins was apparently suffering from a concussion and amnesia after the accident, and that he continued to take painkilling drugs into 1977. This evidence strongly suggests that at least during a portion of the two-year period of limitations Adkins was incompetent. The affidavits submitted by Adkins and his wife state that he presently suffers from a partial loss of memory. His reflexes are slower, he has difficulty concentrating, he is less alert and he takes painkilling drugs. He has trouble maintaining his balance, which has caused him to have another accident. Although he has two small children to support, he can no longer work. Adkins' lawyer stated that it took five hours of questioning to obtain Adkins' affidavit. He states that Adkins had lapses of memory at times during mid-sentence. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to Adkins, it is apparent that he may well have suffered an injury that would bring him within the provisions of the tolling statute. The fact that Adkins could actively work for sometime after the accident, travel, obtain workmen's compensation benefits and retain an attorney might support an inference that Adkins was not insane, but this is an issue to be decided at trial, not on a motion for summary judgment. The admissible evidence submitted by Adkins was sufficient to raise a genuine issue of fact as to his incompetency, and summary judgment was therefore improperly granted. The superior court's dismissal of Adkins' complaint against Nabors is REVERSED and VACATED, and the matter REMANDED for further proceedings in accordance with this opinion. [15]