Engelmam v. Eastern Light Co.

30 Pa. D. & C.2d 38
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Carbon County
DecidedNovember 9, 1962
Docketno. 68
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 30 Pa. D. & C.2d 38 (Engelmam v. Eastern Light Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Carbon County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Engelmam v. Eastern Light Co., 30 Pa. D. & C.2d 38 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1962).

Opinion

Heimbach, P. J.,

— We learn from plaintiff’s amended complaint in assumpsit, filed in the prothonotary’s office on October 3, 1961, that on or about May 9, 1958, he was severely injured as a result of an electrical defect in a washing machine purchased from defendant March 22,1958. His present suit arises out of an alleged breach of warranty. Plaintiff on April 8,1961, filed his complaint in trespass for damages for the same injuries, alleging that the electrical defects resulted from a number of negligent acts and omissions on the part of defendant. Defendant filed its answer to plaintiff’s complaint and in new matter averred that plaintiff’s action was barred by the Act of June 24, 1895, P. L. 236, sec. 2, 12 PS §34, having been commenced more than two years after the action arose. Plaintiff then filed his amended complaint in assumpsit. Once again defendant answered and under new matter again pleaded the statute of limitations under the Act of June 24, 1895, supra, for the same reason.

On November 10,1961, defendant filed its motion for judgment on the pleadings, averring:

“(1) Plaintiff instituted this action more than two years after his cause of action occurred and (the action) is barred by the Act of June 24,1895, P. L. 236, section 2,12 PS 34.”

Defendant in its brief succinctly presents the question we are called upon to decide.

Must an action for personal injuries based solely on a breach of warranty be brought within the two-year personal injury limitation period under the Act of June 24,1895, P. L. 236, sec. 2,12 PS §34, as contended [40]*40by defendant, or may it be brought within the four-year contract limitation period under the Uniform Commercial Code of April 6, 1953, P. L. 3, sec. 2-725, as amended, 12A PS §2-725, as contended by plaintiff?

We are not aware that any court, either in Pennsylvania or elsewhere, has decided this precise question.

The Act of June 24,1895, P. L. 236, sec. 2,12 PS §34, (hereinafter called Act of 1895), provides:

“Every suit hereafter brought to recover damages for injury wrongfully done to the person, in case where the injury does not result in death, must be brought within two years from the time when the injury was done and not afterwards; in cases where the injury does result in death the limitation of action shall remain as now established by law.”

The courts in Pennsylvania uniformly have held, prior to the adoption of the Uniform Commercial Code, that the limitation Act of 1895, supra, governs all actions for damages for personal injury whether the action arises out of contract or tort, and that suit must be brought within two years following the injury: Jones v. Boggs & Buhl, Inc., 355 Pa. 242, 49 A. 2d 379 (1946); Rodebaugh v. Philadelphia Traction Company, 190 Pa. 358; Nightlinger v. Johnson, 18 D. & C. 47; Bradley v. Laubach, 23 Dist. R. 151.

On June 29, 1962, Judge Luongo, in Berg, Jr., v. Remington Arms Company, Civil Action No. 30033 (USDC, E. D. Pa.), held that in an action for personal injury (which action arose before the adoption of the Uniform Commercial Code), based on breach of contract, the suit was subject to and must meet the requirements of both the limitation period for breach of contract (6 years) (Act of March 27, 1713, 1 Sm. L. 76, sec. 1, 12 PS §31), and the limitation period for personal injury (2 years) (Act of 1895), and the suit will be barred upon the expiration of either, whichever first occurs.

[41]*41Section 2-725 of the Uniform Commercial Code— Sales, as amended October 2,1959, P. L. 1023, provides:

“(1) An action for breach of any contract for sale must be commenced within four years after the cause of action has accrued. By the original agreement the parties may reduce the period of limitation to not less than one year but may not extend it.
“(2) A cause of action accrues when the breach occurs, regardless of the aggrieved party’s lack of knowledge of the breach. A breach of warranty occurs when tender of delivery is made, except that where a warranty explicitly extends to future performance of the goods and discovery of the breach must await the time of such performance the cause of action accrues when the breach is or should have been discovered.
“(3) Where an action commenced within the time limited by subsection (1) is so terminated as to leave available a remedy by another action for the same breach such other action may be commenced after the expiration of the time limited and within six months after the termination of the first action unless the termination resulted from voluntary discontinuance or from dismissal for failure or neglect to prosecute.
“(4) This section does not alter the law on tolling of the statute of limitations nor does it apply to causes of action which have accrued before this Act becomes effective.”

The Uniform Commercial Code became effective July 1,1954: section 10-101. A sale of the washing machine after the effective date of the Uniform Commercial Code is a sales transaction under the code: section 2-106(1).

Neither the six year limitation act for a suit on contracts (Act of March 27, 1713, 1 Sm. L. 76, sec. 1, 12 PS §31) nor the two-year limitation act for a suit for damages for personal injuries (Act of June 24, 1895, P. L. 236, sec. 2, 12 PS §34) have been specifically [42]*42repealed by the Uniform Commercial Code, 12A PS §10-102. Section 10-103 provides:

“Except as provided in the following section [not applicable], all acts and parts of acts inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed.”

There, of course, cannot be any question that section 2-725 of the code, providing for a four-year statute of limitations for breach of any contract for sale, is inconsistent with that part of the Act of March 27, 1713, 1 Sm. L. 76, sec. 1, 12 PS §31, providing for a six-year statute of limitations on contract actions, and to that extent prevails over the Act of March 27,1713: Statutory Construction Act, May 28, 1937, P. L. 1019, art. IV, sec. 66, 46 PS §566.

Although we do not have the benefit of any case decision to aid us in deciding the question before us, we have had called to our attention two law review articles bearing on the problem, one in Volume 15 University of Pittsburgh Law Review No. 4, page 541, entitled “Articles 2 and 6: Sales and Bulk Transfers,” by Bernard D. Broeker;

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Related

Rufo v. the Bastian-Blessing Co.
207 A.2d 823 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1965)
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197 A.2d 612 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1964)

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Bluebook (online)
30 Pa. D. & C.2d 38, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/engelmam-v-eastern-light-co-pactcomplcarbon-1962.