Opinion ID: 1096052
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: retroactive application of act 661

Text: Plaintiffs argue that La.R.S. 40:1299.41 G and La.R.S. 40:1299.47(A)(2)(a), as amended by Act 661 of the 1991 Louisiana Legislature, should be applied to this case. Act 661 became effective on September 6, 1991, several months after the trial judge granted the exception of prescription in favor of Dr. Brunson and LAMMICO and while the suit was pending in the court of appeal. Plaintiffs contend that the amended statutes should be applied retroactively. Retroactive application would make the amended petition adding Dr. Brunson and LAMMICO as defendants timely filed. [12] Defendants argued that the amended statutes cannot be constitutionally applied to revive a prescribed cause of action without affecting vested rights of Dr. Brunson and LAMMICO. [13] The court of appeal held that the amended statutes could not be applied retroactively to suspend the running of prescription on a claim which had already prescribed prior the effective date of Act 661. Since we have decided that plaintiffs' claims against Dr. Brunson and LAMMICO may still be viable on other grounds, we will not reach the issue of whether the amended statutes should be retroactively applied in this case since to do so would require us to address the constitutionality of the statutes as applied. Instead, we will adhere to the well established rule that a court should not pass on the constitutionality of legislation unless it is essential to the decision of the case or controversy. Benson & Gold Chevrolet, Inc. v. The Louisiana Motor Vehicle Comm., 403 So.2d 13, 23 (La.1981). In sum, we conclude that plaintiffs' claims against Dr. Brunson and LAMMICO have prescribed unless the existence of suit No. 19,599 has interrupted the running of prescription on these claims. Therefore, we will remand the case to the trial court to address this issue, giving plaintiffs the opportunity to supplement the existing record in this suit with the record in suit No. 19,599. Since we did not reach the issue of whether Act 661 should be retroactively applied and since it was not before the trial judge, plaintiffs may urge this contention on remand. The right to appeal to the court of appeal is reserved to the parties.