Court Opinion

ID: 9688346
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 17:44:19.081053+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:18:37.687321
License: Public Domain

SABERS, Justice
(dissenting).
I dissent. Although this case was properly dismissed for lack of prosecution (SDCL 15-6-41(b)) and inactivity for one year (SDCL 15-11-11) in 1984, it was reopened subject to certain activity by November of 1984. The required activity occurred and no appeal was taken from the order reopening the case.
Plaintiff relied on this order and produced substantial activity from November 1984 until the dismissal motion in July 1987. This activity was produced at substantial cost and expense after hiring new counsel. In addition to the numerous smaller expenses in preparing for litigation, the plaintiff expended a great deal on depositions and hiring an expert witness to prepare a report on the plaintiff’s economic loss.
SDCL 15-11-11 cannot be used as a basis for dismissal in this case because there was (much) activity within the last one year. Therefore, the question is whether the plaintiffs claim can be dismissed for “failure to prosecute” under SDCL 15-6-41(b). The record reflects that plaintiff’s new counsel reasonably pursued the prosecution of plaintiff’s claim and did not engage in any unreasonable delay.*
Even if this dismissal is viewed in light of the entire life of the case, it appears unduly harsh in view of the court’s reopening, plaintiff’s recent activity at great cost and expense in reliance thereon, and the fact that the case is substantially ready for trial.

 The plaintiff hired new counsel in July of 1985, who immediately contacted the other parties involved in this case and the worker's compensation case. New counsel did not file an official notice of appearance until November of 1985, but began to get involved with the file from July to November, including defending plaintiff at her deposition in October of 1985. New counsel hired an expert to determine the plaintiffs economic loss in November of 1985 and sent the expert’s final report to the defendant in May of 1986. Defendant did not make a request to take the expert's deposition until November of 1986, and the deposition was taken in December. The same month new counsel sent an offer of settlement to the defendant. A second letter regarding the settlement offer was sent after no response was received from the defendant for nearly four months. Defendant eventually did respond with a counter-offer, but this was rejected by the plaintiff. In January of 1987, new counsel sent a second set of interrogatories to the defendant, which were not answered for nearly five months. The same month, new counsel sought to take the deposition of the plaintiffs examining physician. The physician was unavailable until late April of 1987. During this period new counsel began extensive negotiations to settle the worker’s compensation claim. A settlement on the claim was reached in June of 1987. In addition, the record reflects that new counsel made numerous telephone calls and letters in furtherance of the plaintifPs claim. In July of 1987, the defendant made a motion to dismiss for lack of prosecution. The motion was granted in November of 1987.