MacMillen v. AH Robins Co., Inc.

348 N.W.2d 869, 217 Neb. 338, 1984 Neb. LEXIS 1070
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedMay 11, 1984
Docket83-383
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 348 N.W.2d 869 (MacMillen v. AH Robins Co., Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
MacMillen v. AH Robins Co., Inc., 348 N.W.2d 869, 217 Neb. 338, 1984 Neb. LEXIS 1070 (Neb. 1984).

Opinions

[339]*339Boslaugh, J.

This is an appeal in a products liability action brought by Maureen MacMillen against A. H. Robins Company, Inc. (Robins), the manufacturer of an intrauterine contraceptive device known as a “Daikon Shield.” The trial court sustained the defendant’s demurrer and dismissed the amended petition. The plaintiff appeals.

The amended petition alleged that the Daikon Shield, which was designed for permanent implantation into the uterus by a physician to prevent conception, was unsafe for its intended use. The plaintiff alleged that in March of 1971 she was implanted with a Daikon Shield and that in November of 1978 her physician found that she had an abscess and infection in her uterus and she underwent an abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy. The plaintiff further alleged that her injury was caused by the defects in the Daikon Shield and that the defendant had concealed information regarding the dangers of use of the Daikon Shield.

The defendant filed a demurrer alleging that the plaintiff did not have capacity to sue and that any cause of action was barred by the statute of limitations.

The applicable statute of limitations, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-224 (Cum. Supp. 1982), provides:

(1) All product liability actions, except one governed by subsection (5) of this section, shall be commenced within four years next after the date on which the death, injury, or damage complained of occurs.
(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section or any other statutory provision to the contrary, any product liability action, except one governed by section 2-725, Uniform Commercial Code or by subsection (5) of this section, shall be commenced within ten years after the date when the product which allegedly caused [340]*340the personal injury, death, or damage was first sold or leased for use or consumption.
(3) The limitations contained in subsection (1), (2), or (5) of this section shall not be applicable to indemnity or contribution actions brought by a manufacturer or seller of a product against a person who is or may be liable to such manufacturer or seller for all or any portion of any judgment rendered against a manufacturer or seller.
(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (1) and (2) of this section, any cause of action or claim which any person may have on July 22, 1978, may be brought not later than two years following such date.
(5) Any action to recover damages based on injury allegedly resulting from exposure to asbestos composed of chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, anthrophyllite, actinolite, or any combination thereof, shall be commenced within four years after the injured person has been informed of discovery of the injury by competent medical authority and that such injury was caused by exposure to asbestos as described herein, or within four years after the discovery of facts which would reasonably lead to such discovery, whichever is earlier. No action commenced under this subsection based on the doctrine of strict liability in tort shall be commenced or maintained against any seller of a product which is alleged to contain or possess a defective condition unreasonably dangerous to the buyer, user, or consumer unless such seller is also the manufacturer of such product or the manufacturer of the part thereof claimed to be defective. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to permit an action to be brought based on an injury described in this subsection discovered more than two years prior to August 30, 1981.

[341]*341The first petition in the present case was filed on October 29, 1982, within 4 years after the injury occurred, but more than 10 years after the date of the sale of the product. The trial court sustained a demurrer to the first petition because the petition had been filed more than 10 years after the date of sale.

The amended petition was then filed alleging that the defendant had intentionally withheld information from the public regarding the dangers inherent in the use of the Daikon Shield. A demurrer to the amended petition was sustained and the amended petition dismissed.

The plaintiff has assigned as error the sustaining of the demurrer to the amended petition, and has made several arguments in support of this assignment. We discuss only the issue raised by the allegations that the defendant deliberately concealed information regarding danger from use of the Daikon Shield.

A demurrer admits all well-pleaded facts. Almarez v. Hartmann, 211 Neb. 243, 318 N.W.2d 98 (1982).

The issue to be determined is whether the defendant is estopped from raising the statute of limitations as a defense because defendant fraudulently concealed its knowledge of the dangerousness of the Dalkon Shield. In Rucker v. Ward, 131 Neb. 25, 33, 267 N.W. 191, 195 (1936), we said, “ ‘One who wrongfully conceals a material fact necessary to the accrual of a cause of action against him, and such concealment causes the opposite party to delay the filing of suit, cannot avail himself of the statutes of limitation as a defense;’. ...” In Luther v. Sohl, 186 Neb. 119, 121, 181 N.W.2d 268, 269 (1970), we stated that ‘‘estoppel may be applied to prevent a fraudulent or inequitable resort to a statute of limitations.” We also stated that ‘‘if a plaintiff has ample time to institute his action, after the inducement for delay has ceased to operate, he cannot excuse his failure to act within the statutory time on the ground of estoppel.” Id. at 122, 181 N.W.2d at 270.

[342]*342Knaysi v. A. H. Robins Co., 679 F.2d 1366 (11th Cir. 1982), is similar to the present case. In that case Knaysi alleged that her spontaneous septic abortion was caused by the Daikon Shield and that Robins had concealed its knowledge that septic abortions occurred in connection with the use of the Daikon Shield. The eleventh circuit reversed the trial court’s grant of summary judgment, which was made on the basis that the action was time barred. The eleventh circuit held that Knaysi had adequately pleaded facts which, if proven, could constitute an equitable estoppel to raising the statute of limitations as a defense. The court stated at 1370:

Having determined that the facts alleged could, if proved, estop Robins from pleading the bar of the statute of limitations, we further conclude that the issue of equitable estoppel was one inappropriate for summary judgment as there exist genuine issues of material fact to be resolved at trial. First, there are obvious questions of fact regarding the alleged misrepresentations made by Robins. In Dupuis v. Van Natten, 61 A.D.2d 293, 402 N.Y.S.2d 242 (1978), the Appellate Division, affirming the trial court’s holding that triable issues of fact precluded entry of summary judgment for defendant, noted the “bona fide issues of fact concerning the alleged misrepresentations which resulted in plaintiffs’ failure to institute a timely action.” Id. at 295, 402 N.Y.S.2d at 243.

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Bluebook (online)
348 N.W.2d 869, 217 Neb. 338, 1984 Neb. LEXIS 1070, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/macmillen-v-ah-robins-co-inc-neb-1984.