Court Opinion

ID: 9642588
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 18:03:39.307857+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:10:49.834678
License: Public Domain

TUNKS, Chief Justice (Retired),
concurring and dissenting.
I concur with the majority in holding the minor plaintiffs’ claims are not barred by limitations. I respectfully dissent, however, to that part of the majority’s opinion which holds that Foy Bradley’s Wrongful Death Claim is not barred by limitations. I would hold that Foy Bradley’s claim is barred by the clear language of the medical malpractice statute, TEX.REV.CIV.STAT. ANN. art. 4590i, § 10.01 (Vernon Supp. 1985), for two reasons.
First, article 4590i section 10.01, states that its two-year limitations period applies, “notwithstanding any other law.” In Hill v. Milani, 686 S.W.2d 610 (Tex.1985), our Supreme Court addressed this language in section 10.01. The court stated:
The language of the statute is clear and exclusive. Elsewhere in the Medical Liability and Insurance Improvement Act, limited tolling provisions are contained, suspending the statute during minority, § 10.01, and upon the giving of notice. § 4.01(c). Article 5537 is not part of the statutory scheme for medical malpractice claims envisioned by the legislature, and is part of the “other law” expressly made inapplicable by operation of statute.
Id. at 611. Similarly, article 5539b is not part of the statutory scheme for medical malpractice claims. If the legislature had intended to incorporate the “relation back” doctrine, it would have so provided. It did not. Furthermore, our Supreme Court has expressly held that section 10.01 is the exclusive limitations provision for medical malpractice suits. I would hold that article 5539b does not apply to medical malpractice suits.
Second, section 10.01 provides that the two-year limitation period begins to run at the time of the breach or tort, or from the date the health care of the patient is completed. The limitation period does not, as does the limitation period in TEX.REV.CIV.STAT.ANN. art. 5526 (Vernon Supp.1985), begin to run when the cause of action accrues. Here, the husband’s wrongful death cause of action did not accrue until Mrs. Bradley died on April 16, 1982. See TEX.REV.CIV.STAT.ANN. art. 5526, § 5. It is uncontroverted that the defendant’s treatment of her ended on January 31, 1980. Thus, the wrongful death cause of action of the husband was barred by limitations before it accrued.
Thus, I would hold that Foy Bradley’s wrongful death action was barred by limitations.