Fred Myles v. St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital
2015 WL 3485680
Tex. App.—Waco2015Background
- Myles sued St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital for injuries sustained during admission.
- Myles was admitted April 7, 2010, discharged April 20, 2010, and later transferred to the Institute for Rehabilitation and Research.
- Myles gave presuit health care liability notice and authorization on April 3, 2012.
- Myles filed suit on June 21, 2012, more than two years after discharge.
- The trial court granted summary judgment, holding the claim time-barred because presuit notice did not toll the limitations period.
- Court reviews summary judgments de novo and applies a tolling analysis under Chapter 74 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether presuit notice tolls the statute of limitations. | Myles argues form substantially complied with 74.052/fourth. | Hospital argues form failed to identify treating physicians and non-applicable parties, so tolling fails. | No; form insufficient to toll the limitations period. |
Key Cases Cited
- Mitchell v. Methodist Hosp., 376 S.W.3d 833 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2012) (tolling requires complete statutory compliance to preserve presuit investigation rights)
- Mock v. Presbyterian Hospital of Plano, 379 S.W.3d 391 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2012) (one blank error did not defeat tolling when overall form complied)
- Rabatin v. Kidd, 281 S.W.3d 558 (Tex. App.—El Paso 2008) (older standard before Carreras; improper form may toll depending on context)
- Carreras v. Marroquin, 339 S.W.3d 68 (Tex. 2011) (to toll, notice and authorization must both be provided)
