Opinion ID: 1177016
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: equitable estoppel fraudulent concealment

Text: Appellant contends that A.H. Robins Company discovered that the Dalkon Shield was defective and had dangerous side effects and willfully concealed this and other information in order to deceive the purchasers and users of the Dalkon Shield, and that, therefore, A.H. Robins Company should be estopped from relying upon the statute of limitations. Equitable estoppel can result from either conduct of a party which induces the postponement of a suit or a fraudulent concealment of the facts necessary to a cause of action. Knaysi v. A.H. Robins Co., 679 F.2d 1366 (11th Cir.1982); Turner v. Turner, Wyo., 582 P.2d 600, 602 (1978). Summary judgment is improper where a material issue of fact exists as to whether equitable estoppel is applicable. Where the defendant has superior knowledge of the facts necessary to make out a cause of action and fraudulently conceals those facts or misrepresents them to the detriment of the plaintiff, equitable estoppel applies to prevent the statute of limitations from being a defense. Perry v. A.H. Robins Co., Inc., 560 F. Supp. 834 (N.D.N.Y. 1983). In this case the I.U.D. was inserted June 20, 1973 and the incident which gave rise to this claim occurred during December 1973. During the ensuing approximate ten-year period there was no contact between appellant and appellee A.H. Robins Company. Therefore, there were no negotiations, no offers to settle, no statements of fact or opinion, no representations upon which appellant relied, and no course of dealings between the parties that could give rise to an estoppel. There is no showing that appellant inquired of appellee concerning the Dalkon Shield, or attempted to develop factual information, or that information was concealed from appellant. It is not enough that others may have undertaken this course of action. That does not help appellant; for, had she inquired of either the doctors or appellee, additional information might have resulted. There being no showing that information was concealed from appellant or that facts were misrepresented to her and relied upon to her detriment, she cannot prevail upon equitable estoppel.