Court Opinion

ID: 9719396
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 07:50:50.622099+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:24:06.862012
License: Public Domain

PAUL H. ANDERSON, Justice
(concurring specially).
I concur in the result reached by the majority, but write separately because of my concern about the implications of certain aspects of the majority opinion. I do not find the application of Minn.Stat. § 145.682 “uncomplicated and unambiguous” as does the majority. Nor do I conclude that the statute cuts with “a sharp but clean edge.” Arguably, the future implications of the majority’s language will be decisions much more harsh than the result that we reach in the case before us today.
The dissent is correct to express concern about the implications of today’s opinion, and more particularly, to point out that the majority fails to acknowledge our direction in Sorenson for courts to use measures less drastic than procedural dismissal in those borderline cases where there has been some meaningful disclosure and there is an absence of prejudice. See Sorenson v. St. Paul Ramsey Med. Ctr., 457 N.W.2d 188, 193 (Minn.1990). It is important that we continue to acknowledge there are borderline cases where the application of the statute will not be uncomplicated and unambiguous and where the border will be indeterminate rather than sharp and clean. In those cases, we must continue to evaluate the degree of prejudice caused by inadequate disclosures and in those borderline cases where prejudice is absent, apply less drastic alternatives than procedural dismissal. This approach preserves “the primary objective of the law [ ] to dispose of cases on the merits.” Id. at 192.
The case before us, however, is not one of those borderline cases. Contrary to the contention of the dissent, the medical affidavit provided by Lindberg in support of his claim falls substantially short of what is required by the statute. Therefore, the district court was correct to dismiss this action. While this is a harsh result, especially in light of the personal tragedy suffered by the Lindberg family, nevertheless, it is a result mandated by the law based on the record before us.