Court Opinion

ID: 9674404
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 04:28:15.289302+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:27.470400
License: Public Domain

RENDLEN, Chief Justice,
concurring in result.
Less than eight months ago in State ex rel. Morasch v. Kimberlin, 654 S.W.2d 889 (Mo. banc 1983), this Court ruled that prohibition does not lie to prevent a court from proceeding to trial on a claim allegedly barred by the general statute of limitations:
Where, as here, the statute does not restrict the power of the court but merely sets up a condition precedent to the establishment of the plaintiffs cause of action, we think the violation of the statutory provision constitutes an error of law rather than an excess of jurisdiction.
654 S.W.2d at 892 (quoting Redlands High School Dist. v. Superior Court, 20 Cal.2d 348, 125 P.2d 490, 497 (1942)). Without mention of Morasch, the majority today retreats from that holding and reaches the merits of a petition to prohibit a court from proceeding to trial on a claim allegedly barred by the general statute of limitations. This result will necessarily frustrate those obliged to follow our lead. See State ex rel. Farmers Mutual Insurance Co. v. Barker, 658 S.W.2d 503 (Mo.App.1983) (Morasch followed).
If Morasch stands for the proposition that we will never review a statute of limitations issue in prohibition, I do not subscribe to such position. Forcing upon a defendant the expense and burdens of trial when the claim is clearly barred is unjust and should be prevented. However, this is most certainly not such a case. Plaintiff in the underlying suit claims its fire damage was caused by a defective light fixture manufactured by defendant. Defendant impleaded petitioner on the theory that if defendant is liable to plaintiff, petitioner is liable to defendant because a component of the fixture sold by petitioner was defective and responsible for the blaze. According to the records presented both the main claim and the third party claim are predicated on strict liability in tort. Defendant tells us that its claim is one for contribution under the doctrine elucidated in Missouri Pacific Railroad Co. v. Whitehead & Kales, 566 S.W.2d 466 (Mo. banc 1978), but Whitehead and Kales involved a claim and attempted interpleader predicated on negligence. In that case, we observed, “[t]he right to non-contractual indemnity presupposes actionable negligence of both parties toward a third party.” 566 S.W.2d at 468 (emphasis supplied). Apparently no Missouri court has ever determined that the seller of a defective product held strictly liable in tort has a claim for (partial) contribution predicated on strict liability against his supplier. Authorities suggest that if such claim exists, it is one for (full) indemnity not (partial) contribution. See Unif. Comparative Fault Act § 2 Commissioner’s Comment and Hales v. Green Colonial, Inc., 402 F.Supp. 738 (W.D.Mo.1975) (Missouri courts would hold that seller held strictly liable in tort has cause of action for indemnity against manufacturer of product found to be unreasonably dangerous where seller had no actual knowledge of defect). *769To determine the time limitation on a claim the existence and nature of which has yet to be established, as the majority does, is simply not warranted given the posture of this case. The statute of limitations issue raised here appears to be one of first impression, which is ill suited for consideration through this extraordinary legal remedy. The issue may be eliminated and at the very least a full and proper record can be developed during trial. Finally, Simon v. Kansas City Rug Co. v. Servicemaster Service-Opp International Corp., 460 S.W.2d 596 (Mo.1970), is persuasive authority for the correctness of respondent’s action. In sum, this case presents none of the extraordinary circumstances that have traditionally justified interlocutory review, and I would quash the provisional writ without reaching the merits.