Court Opinion

ID: 9632938
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 11:28:40.282315+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:08:24.727698
License: Public Domain

Herd, J.,
dissenting: We stated in Elam v. Bruenger, 165 Kan. 31, 40, 193 P.2d 225 (1948), the legislature has the power to provide different statutes of limitations for different actions providing the classification is not unreasonable or discriminating. I think the classification in the Kansas Health Care Provider Insurance Availability Act is both unreasonable and discriminatory. It is unreasonable to permit negligent health care providers to escape liability for their negligent acts if undiscovered within *133four years while the period of discovery is ten years for all other tortfeasors. A negligent health care provider is in a better position to hide his negligence for long periods of time than are other tortfeasors. Health care providers are concerned with a person’s most precious possession: life and health. They should, therefore, be held to the highest standard of care. This act diminishes that standard of care.
We now know the propaganda campaign mounted to obtain the legislation was overstated. The so-called crisis in availability of malpractice insurance did not exist and the reduction in discovery time for this one classification of tortfeasor is unjustified. I would reverse.