Court Opinion

ID: 9586236
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:08:32.407078+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:26:03.382341
License: Public Domain

Justice PLEICONES
dissenting:
I respectfully dissent. I concur in the majority’s rejection of the continuous-representation rule and in its retention of the discovery rule. In my opinion, however, Brown should be estopped from asserting the statute of limitations as a defense. I would therefore reverse and remand to the circuit court for trial.
“Under South Carolina law, a defendant may be estopped from claiming the statute of limitations as a defense if the delay that otherwise would give operation to the statute ha[s] been induced by the defendant’s conduct.” Kleckley v. N.W. Nat. Cas. Co., 338 S.C. 131, 136, 526 S.E.2d 218, 220 (2000) (internal quotation omitted). “Such inducement may consist of conduct that suggests a lawsuit is not necessary.” Kleckley, 338 S.C. at 136-37, 526 S.E.2d at 220.
Brown affirmatively represented to Epstein that the adverse verdict had resulted from errors of law committed by the trial judge which had in turn affected the jury’s fact-finding role. Brown also remained nominally as counsel to Epstein throughout the appeal from the verdict. I would hold that the circuit court erred by holding that Brown’s representations coupled with his presence on the appellate team did not reasonably induce Epstein’s forbearance. That Brown did not actually participate in the appellate representation, other *385than filing the appeal and being counsel of record, makes this conclusion all the more compelling, as his watchful presence bolstered his affirmative representations. I would therefore hold that Brown is estopped from asserting the statute of limitations as a defense.