Opinion ID: 1103270
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Effect of the Act's Tolling Provisions:

Text: ś 70. Clay County submits, assuming arguendo, that Williams' notice was sufficient, the tolling provisions do not save her claim. Naturally, Williams' argument is contrary. The Act, in pertinent part, provides: (3) All actions brought under the provisions of this chapter shall be commenced within one (1) year next after the date of the tortious, wrongful or otherwise actionable conduct on which the liability phase of the action is based, and not after; provided, however, that the filing of a notice of claim as required by subsection (1) of this section shall serve to toll the statute of limitations for a period of ninety-five (95) days from the date the chief executive officer of the state agency receives the notice of claim, or for one hundred twenty (120) days from the date the chief executive officer or other statutorily designated official of a municipality, county or other political subdivision receives the notice of claim, during which time no action may be maintained by the claimant unless the claimant has received a notice of denial of claim. After the tolling period has expired, the claimant shall then have an additional ninety (90) days to file any action against the governmental entity served with proper claim notice. However, should the governmental entity deny any such claim, then the additional ninety (90) days during which the claimant may file an action shall begin to run upon the claimant's receipt of notice of denial of claim from the governmental entity. Miss.Code Ann. § 11-46-11(3) (2001). ś 71. Without waiving its position that notice was insufficient, Clay County's application of the tolling provision to the facts is as follows: Williams' accident occurred on November 1, 1999. Thus, she had one year from that date to file notice, or until November 1, 2000. Williams alleges to have sent the letter to Robinson on November 15, 1999. Adding three days delivery time, Clay County asserts Robinson would have received it on November 18. Thus, unless Williams received notice of a denial of claim, the SOL was tolled for 120 days. Clay County asserts it did not deny the claim during that time period and reminds the Court that it in fact issued a check to pay Williams for the only damages she claimed in her letter/notice: the torn pantsuit. After the tolling period (120 days) expired, Williams had an additional 90 days to file an action. Clay County asserts that after that total time period (210 days), Williams' claim was barred. Under its interpretation, upon giving notice, Williams had a total SOL period of 210 days, which expired on June 15, 2000. Because Williams' complaint was filed on January 31, 2001, Clay County asserts it is clearly barred by the SOL. ś 72. Williams argues that the November 1999 letter constituted notice of her claim and tolled the SOL for 120 days. Thus, she argues, the SOL expired on March 1, 2001. Because her complaint was filed on January 31, 2001, Williams argues it was well within the SOL. Under her interpretation, a claimant has one year to give notice. Upon doing so, the SOL is tolled for 120 days. After the 120 days expire, the one-year SOL resumes; in effect, giving the claimant a one year and 120 day SOL. ś 73. This precise issue is one of first impression in this Court. The Court of Appeals, however, considered the issue in Marshall v. Warren County Bd. of Supervisors, 831 So.2d 1211 (Miss.Ct.App.2002). ś 74. In Marshall, the undisputed facts established that the cause of action accrued on July 31, 1999. Warren County received notice of the claim on March 6, 2000. The action was filed on November 2, 2000. The trial judge followed the same interpretation offered by Clay County in the case sub judice. He reasoned that the SOL was tolled for 120 days after Warren County received notice. Thus, the tolling period began on March 6, 2000, and ended on July 4, 2000. Following July 4, Marshall had an additional 90 days in which to file her claim, and the claim was time barred after October 2, 2000. ś 75. The Court of Appeals considered this Court's holding in Roberts v. New Albany Separate School District, 813 So.2d 729 (Miss.2002). In that case, Roberts' cause of action arose on August 8, 1998. On August 3, 1999, she gave the required notice, which tolled the one-year SOL for a full 120 days, after which she received the full benefit the additional ninety day period in which to file her suit. Id. at (ś 7). ś 76. The Court of Appeals found the trial judge's ruling erroneous, because it had the effect of shortening the statute of limitations. As the Court found in Roberts, there is nothing to indicate that the Legislature intended to shorten the time frame for filing suit.... Marshall at ś 7. Based on the facts of that case, however, the Court of Appeals affirmed. It determined that Roberts was distinguishable because, in that case, the claimant gave notice of her claim some five days before the one-year statute of limitations expired. Therefore, the court found that when calculating the time of the tolling provision, she received the benefit of the `full measure of the 120 period.' In this case, Marshall filed her notice of claim nearly four months prior the expiration of the one year statute of limitations. Consequently, the 120-day tolling period expired during the one year time period. Keeping in mind that in amending Mississippi Code Annotated Section 11-46-11 (Supp.1998), the Legislature did not shorten the one year statute of limitations, we hold that the amended statute, 2002 Miss. Laws Chapter 380 (Senate Bill 3052), requires that a plaintiff received, at a minimum, ninety days to file his action following the running of the one year statute of limitations. Marshall did not file her action until ninety-four days after the one year statute of limitations had run. The amendment to the statute requires, [a]fter the tolling period has expired, the claimant shall then have an additional ninety (90) days to file any action against the governmental entity served with proper claim notice. 2002 Miss. Laws. Ch. 380 (S.B.3052). Giving the statute plain meaning, we must find that Marshall's action is time-barred. Marshall, at (śś 8-9) (emphasis added). Thus, although it affirmed the dismissal of the action on other grounds, the Court of Appeals agreed with the position that Williams has taken here. ś 77. In a concurring opinion, joined by Chief Judge McMillin, and Judges Thomas and Lee, Presiding Judge Southwick reiterated his opinion in Burge, also a concurring opinion, that the amendment was meant to shorten, rather than extend the SOL. Reasoning that the Act's tolling provisions are not written in the normal way, Judge Southwick determined that `it is after the tolling period has expired' that the 90 days commences, not after the running of the remainder of the one year statute of limitations. Marshall, at (ś 14). ś 78. Presiding Judge Southwick found it significant that, in Roberts, this Court discussed only two time periods, to-wit, the 120 days of tolling, and then a subsequent 90 day period available for filing suit. This Court did not mention the five days of the one-year SOL that still would have remained. Judge Southwick noted that this Court held that the 1999 amendment extended the period of time a notice of claim tolled the statute of limitations for actions brought against governmental entities under the Mississippi Tort Claims. Roberts, at 731. From this, Judge Southwick reasoned that a longer tolling period does not mean that the overall period to sue is longer. He concluded, [d]epending on when the notice is filed during the one year time period to file, the effect may be to reduce the total time from injury to suit. The statute made the tolling period longer, i.e., the time for the government to consider the claim was extended, but the post-tolling time period to bring suit is always the same lengthâ 90 days. Marshall, at (ś 19). ś 79. Though susceptible to that interpretation, we do not read Roberts to imply or require that the one-year SOL is extinguished once notice is given. In this Court's opinion, the time remaining in the one-year SOL was not mentioned in Roberts because it simply was not necessary to the discussion. ś 80. Section 11-46-11(3) states that notice of claim serves to toll the SOL. The word toll is defined as follows: To bar, defeat, or take away .... [t]o suspend or stop temporarily as the statute of limitations is tolled during the defendant's absence from the jurisdiction and during the plaintiff's minority. Black's Law Dictionary (emphasis added). As Judge Southwick points out, the legislature has the authority to defy the dictionary so long as the new meaning is discernible, Richardson v. Canton Farm Equip., 608 So.2d 1240, 1250-51 (Miss.1992) (meaning of word or phrase in statute can be different than common meaning); however, it is also a familiar maxim of statutory interpretation that we must give words their literal meanings. In addition, in Mississippi Power Co. v. Jones, 369 So.2d 1381 (Miss.1979), this Court held that [w]here the language used by the legislature in a statute is plain and unambiguous and conveys a clear and definite meaning there is no occasion to resort to rules of statutory interpretation. Jones, 369 So.2d at 1388. ś 81. As mentioned by the Court of Appeals majority in Marshall, when it amended the Act, there is nothing to indicate that the legislature intended to shorten the time frame for filing suit which was provided in the previous version of the Act. Marshall at ś 7. Nor did it eliminate or qualify the word toll in the statute. There is no reason to assume that the legislature intended to change the ordinary meaning of the word toll. Nor is there reason to assume that the legislature intended to shorten the one-year SOL provided for in the Act. Indeed, § 11-46-11(3) states that the SOL it provides shall control. ś 82. Ellisville State School v. Merrill, 732 So.2d 198 (Miss.1999), occurred prior to 11-46-11's amendments. There, the plaintiff filed notice one day before the expiration of the one-year SOL, then filed her complaint within the additional 95 day period. This Court found that procedure proper. Id. at 202-03. ś 83. In State v. Dampeer 744 So.2d 754, 756 (Miss.1999), this Court held when the proper requirements of bringing a claim for injury against a governmental agency in the State of Mississippi are met, including the giving of the proper notice, the statute of limitations allows one year, plus ninety-five days in which to bring the claim. (emphasis added). ś 84. In Chamberlin v. City of Hernando, 716 So.2d 596 (Miss.1998), this Court held that [t]he Act directs that all actions against political subdivisions shall be filed within one year of accrual. The only way the statute allows the extension of the one-year statute is to file the required notice of claim. Id. at 601 (emphasis added). ś 85. In Tie-Reace Hollingsworth ex rel. McDonald v. City of Laurel, 808 So.2d 950, (Miss.2002), this Court held that  the amendment lengthening the statute of limitations for claims brought under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act applies to causes of action accruing before the amendment was enacted which were not barred by the prior statute of limitations. Id. at 955 (emphasis added). ś 86. Use of the words extension and lengthening in the above cases signifies that the SOL is not cut short by the giving of notice, but rather it is extended an additional 90 days following the 120 day tolling period. ś 87. In Burge v. Richton Municipal Separate School Dist., 797 So.2d 1062 (Miss.Ct.App.2001), the Court of Appeals refused to allow a plaintiff to take advantage of the amendments to the additional time period allowable under the Act because these amendments were not yet in effect when the plaintiff's negligence claim against the school district accrued. The Court of Appeals discussed the effect of the tolling provisions of the Act, stating: The action in this case accrued on December 17, 1998, the day that Lea walked onto school grounds and removed her daughter without a court order. The one-year statute of limitations in which to file a claim against the school district for its negligence would have run on December 17, 1999. However, it is undisputed that a notice of claim was timely and properly filed by the Burges according to Miss.Code Ann. § 11-46-11(1) (Supp.2000). Therefore, the statute of limitations on this action would be tolled for ninety-five days after December 17, 1999, which would have allowed the Burges to filed their claim up until March 21, 2000. After March 21, 2000, the Burges' claim was lost. While it would appear, at first glance, from the amendments to § 11-46-11(3) found in the 2000 supplement, that the Burges would then have had an additional ninety days after March 21, 2000, to file the action against the school district, thereby giving them until June 19, 2000, this is not the case. Miss.Code Ann. § 11-46-11(3) (Supp.2000). As well, it is not the case that the Burges could argue that the minors' savings clause under Miss.Code Ann. § 11-46-11(4) (Supp.2000) would save their action here. Both of these provisions were not yet in effect at the time the action occurred on December 17, 1998. 797 So.2d at 1062-64. ś 88. This quote implies that, if proper notice is given, the tolling provision simply tacks an additional 95 or 120 days on to the one-year SOL. The amendments not yet in effect in Burge were in effect in the case sub judice. Their effect in this case would have been to add 90 days to the one-year SOL after the expiration of the 120 day tolling/safe harbor provision. Thus, provided she gave sufficient notice, Williams had until May 30, 2001, to file her complaint (or one year and 210 days from November 1, 1999, the date of the accident). As her complaint was filed on January 31, 2001, Williams complaint was timely. ś 89. Notice provisions encourage settlement of claims prior to entering litigation, therefore conserving valuable government resources. Further, notice to the governmental entity encourages corrective actions, where necessary, prior to litigation, therefore benefitting public health and welfare. Vortice v. Fordice, 711 So.2d 894, 896 (Miss.1998). Adopting Presiding Judge Southwick's interpretation would be contrary to these underlying policies of the MTCA. An interpretation of the Act that causes the one-year SOL to be extinguished upon the giving of notice will discourage claimants from giving notice early. The agency being sued may be unaware of the dangerous instrumentality which caused the accident and the likelihood of future harm will increase; thus compromising the public health and welfare. ś 90. The claimant's time limit to seek redress will be diminished if she provides notice and prolonged if she waits. The citizen who is privy to this information will receive the maximum benefit of the statutory amendment and the average citizen will not. As this Court noted in Carr: The purpose of the notice statute being to advise the city of the accident so that it may promptly investigate the surrounding circumstances, we see no need to endorse a policy which renders the statute a trap for the unwary where such purpose has in fact been satisfied. 733 So.2d at 263. The interpretation offered by Clay County results in such a trap and is contrary to the precedent of this Court. ś 91. In addition, this interpretation is unfair to defendants. A claimant would have up to one year to investigate and develop her case. During this time, the defendant remains ignorant of the possibility of a claim against it. Upon filing notice, the plaintiff has only to wait a maximum of 210 days before filing suit. This creates an unfair advantage for the claimant in settlement posture and preparedness for trial. Moreover, as noted above, because the claimant is discouraged from giving prompt notice, the agency has no opportunity to mitigate the likelihood of other claims by repairing the harm-causing instrumentality. ś 92. Thus, we conclude that Williams' claim should not have been dismissed. Williams' interpretation of the tolling provisions of the Act are more in line with the legislative purpose of the Act and the precedent of this Court. In addition, Williams has stated a claim which, if proved, would entitle her to relieve. Clay County has not demonstrated that has been prejudiced by Williams' failure to comply with every requirement of the Act. Thus, 12(b)(6) dismissal was premature and erroneous. [16]
ś 93. Without waiving her substantial compliance argument, Williams asserts that, although she fell on November 1, 1999, she did not know the extent of her injury or that it would require surgery until March 2000. She argues that this ignorance was encouraged by Robinson, who assured her that her injury was not serious and that she should not go to see a doctor. Williams argues that the SOL did not begin until she discovered the injury, thus her complaint was timely filed. ś 94. This Court has held that, despite the absence of specific discovery language, the discovery rule applies to Tort Claims Act actions involving latent injuries. See Henderson v. Un-Named Emergency Room, Madison County, 758 So.2d 422, 427 (Miss.2000); Barnes v. Singing River Hosp. Sys., 733 So.2d 199, 205 (Miss.1999). This Court has also held that genuine disputes as to the ability to discover a latent injury are questions of fact to be decided by a jury. Donald v. Amoco Prod. Co., 735 So.2d 161, 168 (Miss.1999) (citing Schiro v. American Tobacco Co., 611 So.2d 962, 962 (Miss.1992)). ś 95. Thus, Williams' allegation that a latent injury tolls the statute of limitations until its discovery is properly founded in the case law of this State. However, Clay County asserts that Williams raises this allegation for the first time on appeal. It argues that Williams' failure to give the trial judge an opportunity to consider this aspect of her claim forecloses this Court's consideration of it. See Pickens v. Donaldson, 748 So.2d 684, 690 (Miss.1999) (holding that the discovery rule did not toll statute of limitations in a medical malpractice action brought under the Act because the plaintiff made no claim that injury was latent, and offered no evidence that she did not or could not have discovered injury within the SOL). ś 96. Though she did not specifically plead in her complaint that the statute of limitations was tolled because she suffered a latent injury, Williams does allude to this fact. In paragraph V of her complaint, Williams alleges the following: While Plaintiff's injuries did not immediately appear to be serious, she began, shortly thereafter, to experience severe pain, and required medical treatment. In addition, in an affidavit filed by Williams as a supplement to her opposition to Clay County's motion to dismiss, she alleged the following: When I sent my letter to Robbie Robinson concerning my fall, I did not mention my personal injury. This was because, at that time, the difficulties with my personal injury had not started. However, when I started having medical problems, I talked about these both with Mr. Robinson and to Supervisors Shelton Dean and Darrell Meyers. We discussed my injuries at the Courthouse. This discussion occurred in March, 2000. I was told that the Board of Supervisors was going to have a meeting as to whether or not they would pay my medical bills because of my fall. (emphasis added). Thus, her allegations that she suffered a latent injury were in fact before the court, and they were known by Clay County. ś 97. A Rule 12(b)(6) motion tests the legal sufficiency of the complaint. To grant the motion there must appear to a certainty that the plaintiff is entitled to no relief under any set of facts that could be proved in support of the claim. (Miss. R. Civ. P. 12 cmt.). In the present case, matters outside the pleadings were presented to and not excluded by the court; [17] thus, Clay County's motion to dismiss should have been treated as one for summary judgment and disposed of as provided in Rule 56. Miss. R. Civ. P. 12(b). ś 98. Under Rule 56, [t]he judgment sought shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories and admissions of file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. Miss. R. Civ. P. 56(c). ś 99. Considering Williams' allegations under either rule 12(b) or rule 56(c), it is clear that she raised the issue of latent injury. It is also clear that the trial judge failed to address this issue in his order of dismissal. Whether Williams suffered a latent injury that tolled the SOL until she became aware of it is a material issue of fact, and it is disputed by Clay County. Other disputed (or undeveloped) issues include, inter alia: whether Williams told Clay County the name of her doctor during the March 2000 meetings (thus, arguably creating a duty on their part to ascertain the extent of her injuriesâ see Thornburg, ś 50, supra ); whether Robinson's act of putting the county's insurer on notice precludes summary judgment; [18] whether Williams' actions substantially complied with the Act's notice requirements; what caused settlement negotiations to end and Williams to file suit; whether the statement that Williams should have her eyesight checked constituted a constructive denial of her claim. ś 100. In Jackson v. City of Booneville, 738 So.2d 1241 (Miss.1999), the plaintiff filed her complaint prior to filing her notice of claim. In fact, the plaintiff filed her notice almost one year after the accident and two weeks prior to the expiration of the SOL. Justice Smith, writing for a unanimous court, held this procedure sufficient, finding that by filing her complaint first, Jackson has simply reversed the order which the statute requires, i.e., first the notice of claim and then file suit. Id. at 1246 (citing City of Pascagoula v. Tomlinson, 741 So.2d 224, 228-29 (Miss.1999)). The Court discussed the proper remedy for failure to comply with the ninety-day waiting period required by the statute, noting that dismissal of the suit was unwarranted in light of substantial compliance and that the better approach would be for the government entity to request the trial court issue an order staying the lawsuit until such time as the entity has been given the benefit of the waiting period. Id. Where no stay is requested, the issue is waived. Id. ś 101. In the case at bar, Clay County did not request a stay after Williams gave her second notice of claim on February 13, 2001. Therefore, it has waived its right to a ninety day waiting period. Because Williams suffered a latent injury which was not discovered until March 2000, the SOL expired in March 2001. Since her complaint and second notice of claim where both filed by February 12, 2001, albeit in reverse order, both were within the one-year SOL. ś 102. This Court concludes that Williams effectively informed both Clay County and the trial judge that she suffered a latent injury. Because this allegation, taken as true, works to toll the SOL, summary dismissal of Williams' claim was improper.