Osburn v. Savage Arms Corp.

419 N.E.2d 1138, 66 Ohio Misc. 1, 20 Ohio Op. 3d 82, 1980 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 61
CourtLucas County Court of Common Pleas
DecidedNovember 18, 1980
DocketNo. 80-0362
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 419 N.E.2d 1138 (Osburn v. Savage Arms Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Lucas County Court of Common Pleas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Osburn v. Savage Arms Corp., 419 N.E.2d 1138, 66 Ohio Misc. 1, 20 Ohio Op. 3d 82, 1980 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 61 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1980).

Opinion

Re SNICK, J.

This cause of action arose out of a complaint brought by the plaintiffs, Ray and Caroline Osburn and their son John, alleging negligence and strict liability against the defendants and seeking compensatory damages for John’s personal injuries plus payment of medical expenses incurred by the parents. Defendants have moved to dismiss the claim for the recovery of medical expenses put forth by Ray and Caroline Osburn on the ground that they have failed to commence their action within the applicable four-year statute of limitations (R. C. 2305.09). Plaintiffs, on the other hand, have contended that under Civ. R. 19.1(A)(3), Ray and Caroline Osburn’s interests are joint and inseparable from those of their son, and therefore, his disability inured to their benefit and tolled the running of the statute of limitations on their claim.

In Ohio, it is well established that a court may grant a motion to dismiss a complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted only if it appears beyond doubt from the complaint that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts entitling him to recovery. See O’Brien v. University Com[3]*3munity Tenants Union (1975), 42 Ohio St. 2d 242; Steffen v. General Telephone Co. (1978), 60 Ohio App. 2d 144; Kodish v. Public Employees Retirement Bd. (1975), 45 Ohio App. 2d 147. In the case at bar, the parties are in agreement that when a child is injured by the negligent act of another party, the parents of that child have four years to commence a derivative action for the loss of the child’s services and for any expenses incurred thereby. See R. C. 2305.09(D); Dean v. Angelas (1970), 24 Ohio St. 2d 99. The parties further agree that the claim of Ray and Caroline Osburn was filed more than four years after the cause of action accrued. The only issue, therefore, is whether it is beyond doubt that the Ohio disability statute (R. C. 2305.16), which tolled the running of the statute of limitations for John Osburn’s claim, does not extend to the claim of his parents. This court finds that the Ohio disability statute does not extend to the claim of Ray and Caroline Osburn in this case.

R. C. 2305.16 states in relevant part:

“ * * *if a person entitled to bring any action* * *is, at the time the cause of action accrues, within the age of minority * * *, such person may bring it within the respective times * * * after such disability is removed. When the interests of two or more parties are joint and inseparable, the disability of one shall inure to the benefit of all.”

The plaintiffs have argued based on this statute that the disability of John Osburn, caused by his minority at the time the cause of action accrued, inured to the benefit of his parents. This argument is valid, however, only if the interests of the parents are joint and inseparable from those of their son. Plaintiffs contend that these interests are inseparable, relying on Civ. R. 19.1 which states in relevant part:

“(A) Persons to be joined. A person* * * shall be joined as a party in the action* * * if he has an interest in or a claim arising out of the following situations: * * *(3) Personal injury or property damage to a minor and a claim of the parent or guardian of the minor for loss of services or expenses or property damage if caused by the same wrongful act* * *.”

Defendants, however, have argued that, notwithstanding Civ. R. 19.1(A)(3), the claim of Ray and Caroline Osburn is a separate and independent cause of action which precludes [4]*4them from obtaining the benefit of having the statute of limitations tolled by the disability statute (R. C. 2305.16).

Plaintiffs have reasoned that since Civ. R. 19.1(A)(3) requires compulsory joinder of claims of a minor for personal injury with those of his parents for medical expenses incurred thereby, such claims must be joint and inseparable. This is not the law in Ohio, however, as it is established that an action by a third party (either a spouse or parent) for loss of services or medical expenses is a separate and independent cause of action apart from that cause of action by the injured party for bodily harm. See Layne v. Huffman (1974), 43 Ohio App. 2d 53, affirmed 42 Ohio St. 2d 287 (1975); Whitehead v. General Tel. Co. (1969), 20 Ohio St. 2d 108; Kraut v. Cleveland Ry. Co. (1936), 132 Ohio St. 125; Overton v. Riverside Hospital (1976), No. L-76-147, Lucas Co. Ct. of App., unreported. As stated at paragraph three of the syllabus in Whitehead v. General Tel. Co., supra:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
419 N.E.2d 1138, 66 Ohio Misc. 1, 20 Ohio Op. 3d 82, 1980 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 61, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/osburn-v-savage-arms-corp-ohctcompllucas-1980.