Marie Blank, Administrator of the Estate of Layton W. Blank v. John Reed Ripley

724 F.2d 88, 1983 U.S. App. LEXIS 14092
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedDecember 29, 1983
Docket83-2111
StatusPublished

This text of 724 F.2d 88 (Marie Blank, Administrator of the Estate of Layton W. Blank v. John Reed Ripley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Marie Blank, Administrator of the Estate of Layton W. Blank v. John Reed Ripley, 724 F.2d 88, 1983 U.S. App. LEXIS 14092 (8th Cir. 1983).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

Marie Blank, in her capacity as the administrator of the estate of Layton Blank, appeals from a final order of the District Court 1 for the Eastern District of Missouri, 567 F.Supp. 1531, dismissing her wrongful death complaint. For reversal appellant argues that the district court erred in dismissing her complaint on the ground that the cause of action for the wrongful death of Rosemary Petit abated at the death of Pet-it’s brother Layton Blank because he had not filed suit before his death. We affirm.

In May, 1980, Rosemary Petit died, allegedly as a result of appellee’s negligence. At the time of her death, she was survived only by her brother Layton Blank. Pursuant to Missouri’s wrongful death statute, Mo.Rev.Stat. § 537.080 (Cum.Supp.1982), Blank was the only party entitled to bring an action for the alleged wrongful death of his sister. In April, 1983, Blank died without having filed suit. In May, 1983, appellant, Blank’s widow and the administrator of his estate, filed an action for the wrongful death of Rosemary Petit.

*89 In granting appellees motion to dismiss, the district court relied on Pedroli v. Missouri Pacific R.R., 524 S.W.2d 882 (Mo.App. 1975). Blank v. Ripley, 567 F.Supp. 1531, 1532 (E.D.Mo.1983). In Pedroli, the court held that a wrongful death action abates at the death of the person entitled to bring suit if that person has not filed suit prior to his death. 524 S.W.2d at 885-86. See also Stoddard v. Cockrum, 531 F.Supp. 663 (W.D.Mo.1982).

After having carefully studied the briefs and the record in this case, we find no error of law or fact. Accordingly, we affirm on the basis of the district court’s opinion. See 8th Cir.R. 14.

1

. The Honorable James H. Meredith, United States Senior District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri.

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Related

Stoddard v. Cockrum
531 F. Supp. 663 (W.D. Missouri, 1982)
Pedroli v. Missouri Pacific Railroad
524 S.W.2d 882 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1975)
Blank v. Ripley
567 F. Supp. 1531 (E.D. Missouri, 1983)

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Bluebook (online)
724 F.2d 88, 1983 U.S. App. LEXIS 14092, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/marie-blank-administrator-of-the-estate-of-layton-w-blank-v-john-reed-ca8-1983.