OPAL F. HUDSON, AS PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE ELA HUDSON, DECEASED, APPELLANT,
v.
KEENE CORPORATION: THE CELOTEX CORPORATION; JOHNS-MANVILLE CORPORATION; JOHNS-MANVILLE AMIANTE CANADA, INC.; H.K. PORTER COMPANY, INC.; ARMSTRONG CORK COMPANY AND RAYBESTOS-MANHATTAN, INC., APPELLEES

Fla. 1st DCA | 1984-03-08
No. AN-453
LARRY G. SMITH and WENTWORTH, JJ., concur.
445 So. 2d 1151 Florida District Court of Appeal, First District (1984) Positive Treatment
Cited by 1 case

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Synopsis

In this wrongful death case arising from asbestosis, the court affirmed summary judgment for defendants, holding that a wrongful death claim is barred when the underlying personal injury action's statute of limitations has expired, even though the wrongful death action itself has a separate two-year limitations period.


Holding

The court held that a wrongful death claim is barred when the underlying personal injury cause of action would have been time-barred at the time of death. The death does not revive an extinguished personal injury cause of action, and the wrongful death statute's requirement that 'the event would have entitled the person injured to maintain an action' means the plaintiff must have had a viable personal injury claim at the time of death.


Headnotes

[1] A wrongful death claim is barred if the decedent's personal injury claim would have been barred by the statute of limitations at the time of death.

[2] The statute governing wrongful death actions requires that the event causing death must have been an action the decedent could have maintained if death had not ensued.

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Key Quotes

“When the death of a person is caused by the wrongful act, negligence, default, or breach of contract or warranty of any person, including those occurring on navigable waters, and the event would have entitled the person injured to maintain an action and recover damages if death had not ensued, the person or watercraft that would have been liable in damages if death had not ensued shall be liable for damages as specified in this act notwithstanding the death of the person injured”

The core statutory language of Florida's wrongful death statute that the court interprets to require a viable personal injury claim at the time of death

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Facts & Procedural History

Ela Hudson was diagnosed with asbestosis in March 1977. A personal injury action was filed against Johns-Manville Sales Corporation on November 12, 19…

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Opinion of the Court
JOANOS, Judge.

JOANOS, Judge.

Having considered appellant’s motions for rehearing, clarification, or certification, we grant the motion for clarification and deny the motions for rehearing and certification. The decision and opinion filed January 24, 1984 is withdrawn and the following decision and opinion is substituted in lieu thereof.

Ela Hudson was diagnosed as having asbestosis in March, 1977.

On November 12, 1980, an action for personal injuries was filed against Johns-Manville Sales Corporation only. Ela Hudson died on July 14, 1981.

On November 2, 1981, a wrongful death claim was filed against appellees. This claim was filed within two years of Mr. Hudson’s death, but more than four years after the diagnosis of asbestosis. As this state of the facts indicates, there had been no claim for personal injuries against appellees within four years of the diagnosis. Appellees’ motion for summary judgment was granted on the basis that the death did not revive an extinguished cause of action.1 In other words, since the four year personal injury limitations period had run before the suit for wrongful death was filed, appellant could not recover from appellees on the wrongful death claim.

The question presented in this case boils down to whether, based on the language found in the wrongful death statute, specifically Section 768.19, Florida Statutes, the wrongful death claim is barred by the running of the limitations period with regard to Ela Hudson’s personal injury suit, even though ordinarily the limitations period for a wrongful death action is two years, Section 95.11(4)(d), Florida Statutes. Section 768.19 provides:

When the death of a person is caused by the wrongful act, negligence, default, or breach of contract or warranty of any person, including those occurring on navigable waters, and the event would have entitled the person injured to maintain an action and recover damages if death had not ensued, the person or watercraft that would have been liable in damages if death had not ensued shall be liable for damages as specified in this act notwithstanding the death of the person injured, although death was caused un der circumstances constituting a felony. (e.s.)

Appellant argues that even though the death would not revive the cause of action for personal injuries, it did create a new, independent cause of action for wrongful death. Appellant contends the implication of the lower court’s ruling with regard to the statute of limitations is contrary to the declared public policy of this state that wrongful death legislation is to be liberally construed in order to give it effect.

Appellant relied on Perkins v. Variety Children’s Hospital, 413 So. 2d 760 (Fla. 3d DCA 1982), in which the Third District held, among other things, that the pertinent language, underscored above, refers to the qualifying nature of the event rather than whether the decedent sued in his lifetime, and that the two year wrongful death limitations period began to run at the time of death. The Florida Supreme Court recently rejected in its entirety the approach taken by the Third District, see Variety Children’s Hospital v. Perkins, 445 So. 2d 1010 (Fla.1983).

Both the defense of res judicata, discussed at length by the supreme court in the Perkins opinion, and that of the running of the statute of limitations are waivable affirmative defenses. Because of that decision we are bound to conclude the circuit judge in the present case properly granted appellees’ motion for summary judgment, because under the supreme court interpretation of the statutory language in Perkins, Ela Hudson would not have been able to maintain an action against appellees if death had not ensued due to the running of the limitations period with regard to the personal injury suit.

Therefore the summary judgment appealed is AFFIRMED.

LARRY G. SMITH and WENTWORTH, JJ., concur. . Pursuant to a motion filed in this court this case has been stayed with regard to Johns-Man-ville Corp. and Johns-Manville Amiante Canada, Inc., thus this opinion does not affect their interests.


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