Dusack v. Conrail Corp.

36 Pa. D. & C.3d 622, 1982 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 27
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Somerset County
DecidedSeptember 16, 1982
Docketno. 92 Civil 1981
StatusPublished

This text of 36 Pa. D. & C.3d 622 (Dusack v. Conrail Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Somerset County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dusack v. Conrail Corp., 36 Pa. D. & C.3d 622, 1982 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 27 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1982).

Opinion

SHAULIS, J.,

This case is before the court on preliminary objections filed by all parties involved. For the reasons set out herein, defendants’ preliminary objections must be overruled with the exception of R&S Motor Co., Inc.’s preliminary objection in the nature of a demurrer as to Count four which must be sustained. Plaintiffs’ preliminary objection that the statute of limitations was improperly raised by defendants at this time must be sustained.

FACTS

Plaintiff Woodrow Simmers purchased a 1978 Chrysler Cordoba automobile in or about January, 1979, from defendant R&S Motor Co., Inc. On February 23, 1979, plaintiff Loretta Dusack was operating the automobile with the permission of Simmers in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Plaintiff Loretta Conahan was a passenger in said automobile. Allegedly, upon crossing a railroad crossing owned, operated and maintained by defendant Conrail. Corp., there was a malfunction of the suspension and frame or other components of the automobile, and/or a defect in the railroad crossing. Plaintiffs allege that this caused the vehicle to strike a rail or tie, or a rail or tie to strike the vehicle which resulted in Loretta Dusack and Loretta Conahan being thrown into the windshield, causing bodily injury to both. ,

Plaintiffs instituted this action by praecipe for writ of summons on February 24, 1981. All defendants named responded by way of preliminary objections. This was followed by plaintiffs’ preliminary objection. These specific preliminary objections will be set out below.

[624]*624DISCUSSION

All defendants initially raise the defense of the statue of limitations as a prehminary objection by a motion to strike. Pa. Civil Rule 1017(b)(4) provides that the statute of limitations may be raised by way of a demurrer, but only where the statute of limitations is nonwaivable. See also Ziemba v. Hagerty, 436 Pa. 179, 259 A.2d 879 (1969).

Numerous cases have indicated that in a personal injury action, the. statute of limitations may be waived by consent of the parties. Bellotti v. Spaeder, 433 Pa. 219, 249 A.2d 343 (1969); Cooper v. Downington School District, 238 Pa. Super. 404, 407 n.2, 357 A.2d 619 (1976). Furthermore, it has been said that a procedural statute of limitations may not be raised by demurrer. Personal injury actions that did not result in death are included in the category of a procedural statute. Spickler v. Lombardo, 32 Somerset Legal Journal 16 (1976). In such cases, the statute of limitations must be raised only by new matter in defendant’s answer. Royal Oil & Gas Corp. v. Tunneltown Mining Co., 444 Pa. 105, 282 A.2d 384 (1971); Spickler v. Lombardo, supra. See also Pa.R.C.P. 1030. Therefore, we believe that plaintiff’s prehminary objection requesting the dismissal of defendants’ respective motions to strike contained in their prehminary objections should be sustained, not only because the statute is waivable, but also due to the fact that defendants brought their prehminary objection as a motion to strike rather than in the nature of a demurrer. See Pa.R.C.P. 1017(b) (4).

Although the statute of hmitations should be pleaded as new matter in a personal injury case, the Cambria County Court of Common Pleas has indicated that, “the courts may consider the defense if [625]*625raised by preliminary objection in the interest of judicial economy.” Swavely v. Dick, 12 D.&C. 3d 497 (1979), citing McDevitt v. Golin, 35 Pa. Commw. 409, 386 A.2d 627 (1978) and City of Philadelphia v. Shapp, 44 Pa. Commw. 303, 403 A.2d 1043 (1979). Such a determination need not be made in this case as the statute of limitations had been tolled. Accordingly, the defense is invalid.

There is a two-year limitation period for an action to recover damages for injuries to the person. 42 Pa.C.S. §5524(2). Under Pennsylvania law, the statute of limitations period begins to run from the time that plaintiff became aware or should have been aware of the cause of his personal injury. Bayless v. Philadelphia Nat. League Club, 597 F.2d 37 (3rd Cir. 1978), on remand 472 F. Supp. 625, affirmed 615 F.2d 1352. See also Schaffer v. Larzelre, 410 Pa. 402, 189 A.2d 267 (1963); Bickell v. Stein, 291 Pa. Super. 145, 435 A.2d 610 (1981); Armacost v. Winters, 258 Pa. Super. 424, 392 A.2d 866 (1978). It is apparent then, that the limitations period commenced on February 23, 1979, the date of the accident, as this was the date that plaintiffs should have been aware of their injuries.

Pa.R.C.P. 1007 indicates that an action may be commenced by filing with the prothonotary a praecipe for writ of summons. Such was the case here so that the statute would be tolled if the filing was timely. *

A problem arises though, as the filing did not occur until February 24, 1981, or two years and one day after the accident. This will not defeat plaintiffs’ cause of action, as the Somerset Courthouse was closed on February 23, 1981, in observance of Washington’s Birthday. See 4 Misc. 1981 in the prothonotary’s office of Somerset County.

[626]*6261 Pa.C.S. §1908 states the following:

“§1908. Computation of time

“When any period of time is referred to in any statute, such period in all cases, except as otherwise provided in section 1909 of this title (relating to publication for successive weeks) and section 1910 of this title (relating to computation of months) shall be so computed as to exclude the first and include the last day of such period. Whenever the last day of any such period shall fall on Saturday or Sunday, or on any day made a legal holiday by the laws of this Commonwealth or of the United States, such day shall be omitted from the computation.” 1972, Dec. 6, P.L. 1339, no. 290, §3, imd. effective. This statutory language pertains to “any law” and “all cases.” Williams Appeal, 434 Pa. 274, 256 A.2d 623 (1969).

In accordance with § 1908, the first day of the two year period was February 24, 1979, and the last day of the period would normally have been February 23, 1981. See also: Commonwealth v. Kuhn, 200 Pa. Super. 649, 190 A.2d 337 (1963). Since February 23, 1981 was a legal holiday, it was omitted and replaced by February 24, 1981 as the last day of the two-year period. Spillane v. Work. Comp. Appeal Bd. et al., 26 Pa. Commw. 536 (1976); Hawrylak v. Slickerman, 28 Somerset L.J. 196 (1972). Consequently the statute of limitations was tolled on the last day of the period.

In addition to the two-year limitations period, “a personal injury claim based upon a breach of warranty is distinct from a personal injury claim based on negligence and can be commenced within four years after the cause of action has occurred. ” Salvador v. Atlantic Steel Boiler Co., 224 Pa. Super. 337, 307 A.2d 398 (1973). See also 13 Pa. C.S. §2725. Therefore, if the two-year limitations period has expired, plaintiffs’ cause of action based upon breach of warranty would still survive.

[627]

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36 Pa. D. & C.3d 622, 1982 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 27, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dusack-v-conrail-corp-pactcomplsomers-1982.