Court Opinion

ID: 9514130
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-06 22:44:42.17258+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:06:12.467896
License: Public Domain

LEE, District Judge,
concurring and dissenting.
[¶ 47] I agree with the result reached by Justice Maring and would reverse the Summary Judgment of the trial court. I would do so because there exists an issue of material fact concerning when Allen Mertz, or his survivors, discovered the possible cause of his terminal illness, exposure to asbestos.
[¶ 48] This is a survival action brought pursuant to N.D.C.C. § 28-01-26.1. For purposes of this appeal, the parties have agreed that the six-year statute of limitations under N.D.C.C. § 28-01-16(5) applies. It is also argued that the discovery rule applies. That rule postpones the accrual of a cause of action until the plaintiff is placed on notice that a potential claim exists in cases where it would be difficult for the plaintiff to have learned of the negligent act or omission giving rise to the injury. Wells v. First American Bank West, 1999 ND 170, ¶¶ 9-10, 598 N.W.2d 834. There exists in this case a material issue of fact as to when the plaintiff discovered, or reasonably should have discovered the possible cause of Allen Mertz’s cancer. That discovery could have been made as early as 1995, even before Allen Mertz’s death, or it could have occurred as late as April 2003, when the Mertz family received a medical opinion about the possible cause of death of Allen Mertz. Because this issue of material fact exists, Summary Judgment should not have been granted. N.D.R.Civ.P. 56.
[¶ 49] I cannot join in the opinion of Justice Crothers on the issue raised by him at ¶ 10, that is, may the discovery rule be applied to extend the time of the accrual of a survival action beyond the date of the death of the decedent? He determines that it does not. See Majority Opinion at ¶ 17.
[¶ 50] Nor can I join that portion of Justice Maring’s opinion which examines the same question, and reaches the oppo*465site conclusion. See Mating, J., dissent at ¶ 42.
[¶ 51] It is not because I cannot be persuaded to join one opinion or the other. Both opinions are thoughtful, well-reasoned, and forceful. I will not join either opinion because after a review of the record below, and the trial court’s Memorandum and Order, this issue was neither presented to the trial court, nor did the trial court make a ruling on this issue. The lack of a ruling on this issue by the trial court is conceded by 999 Quebec, Inc. “The district court did not reach the issue of whether a survival action may accrue subsequent to the death of the injured party.” Appellee’s brief at ¶ 4.
[¶ 52] An opinion on the ultimate date of the statute of limitations is not necessary to decide this appeal. The trial court’s ruling was predicated on the factual determination that Allen Mertz and his family had sufficient knowledge in 1995 that his cancer was due to asbestos exposure. This Court should limit its decision in this appeal to the issue presented, argued, and determined by the trial court. The issue is whether the trial court can properly make this factual determination on the Summary Judgment motion made by the defendants/appellees.
[¶ 53] This Court has long held that issues which are not necessary to the determination of an appeal should not be considered. “Questions, the answers to which are not necessary to the determination of an appeal, need not be considered. Consequently, it is neither necessary nor appropriate for us to address these issues in this appeal.” City of Fargo v. Ness, 529 N.W.2d 572, 577 (N.D.1995) (internal citation omitted). The question of the ultimate running of the applicable statute of limitations is not needed to resolve this appeal.
[¶ 54] Further, this Court only considers issues properly presented to the trial court. In re Hirsck, 2009 ND 135, ¶ 12, 770 N.W.2d 225 (“It is axiomatic that an issue or contention not raised or considered in the lower court cannot be raised for the first time on appeal.”). If a party fails to properly raise or argue issues in the trial court, that party is precluded from raising the argument on appeal. Id. A review of the Appendix submitted with this appeal shows that the issue of the ultimate running of the statute of limitations was not raised in the trial court. The unraised issue should not now become the cornerstone of an opinion in the Supreme Court.
[¶ 55] “It is fundamentally unfair to fault the trial court for failing to rule correctly on an issue it was never given the opportunity to consider.” Davis v. Enget, 2010 ND 34, ¶ 10 (quoting Messer v. Bender, 1997 ND 103, ¶ 10, 564 N.W.2d 291). If the trial judge is to be reversed, let it be for a ruling that the trial judge made on the issues presented, and not for some other reason.
[¶ 56] I would reverse because granting Summary Judgment was improper given the material issues of fact presented.
[¶ 57] Gary H. Lee, D.J.
PER CURIAM.
[¶ 58] We write separately to explain our understanding of the status of this case on remand to the trial court in light of the three separate opinions which have been filed in this matter.
[¶ 59] Justice Crothers’ opinion, which Judge McCullough has signed, would affirm the judgment of the District Court because, as a matter of law, the discovery rule does not toll the accrual of a survival action brought under N.D.C.C. § 28-01-26 beyond the date of the decedent’s death, *466and the survival action accrues, at the latest, upon death. This action commenced in 2005, Allen Mertz died in 1996, the survival cause of action accrued, at the latest, at that time, and would therefore be barred by the statute of limitations.
[¶ 60] Justice Maring’s opinion, which Chief Justice VandeWalle has signed, would reverse the judgment, concluding the discovery rule does apply to extend the accrual of a survival action brought under N.D.C.C. § 28-01-26 beyond the date of the decedent’s death and there is a genuine issue of material fact as to when Men or Shirley Mertz received information sufficient to put them on notice of a potential claim for personal injury caused by asbestos.
[¶ 61] Judge Lee agrees with Justice Maring’s opinion that an issue of material fact exists concerning when Men Mertz, or his survivors, discovered the exposure to asbestos was the possible cause of Allen Mertz’s terminal illness and would reverse the judgment on that ground alone. Judge Lee would not decide whether or not the discovery rule extends the accrual of a survival action brought under N.D.C.C. § 28-01-26 beyond the date of the decedent’s death.
[¶ 62] Therefore, there are not three votes to determine whether or not the discovery rule applies to extend the accrual of a survival action brought under N.D.C.C. § 28-01-26 beyond the date of the decedent’s death. There are three votes to reverse and remand the matter for trial on the issue of when there was notice the exposure to asbestos was the possible cause of Allen Mertz’s terminal illness. As a result, we understand that on remand trial will be held on the merits of the plaintiffs’ claims and on all defenses, including when there was notice exposure to asbestos was the possible cause of Allen Mertz’s terminal illness, the statute of limitations, and the application of the discovery rule.
[¶ 63] GERALD W. VANDE WALLE, C.J., STEVEN E. McCULLOUGH, and GARY H. LEE, D.J., DANIEL J. CROTHERS, and MARY MUEHLEN MARING, JJ., concur.