Turner v. Staggs

510 P.2d 879, 89 Nev. 230, 59 A.L.R. 3d 81, 1973 Nev. LEXIS 478
CourtNevada Supreme Court
DecidedJune 6, 1973
Docket6770
StatusPublished
Cited by115 cases

This text of 510 P.2d 879 (Turner v. Staggs) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nevada Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Turner v. Staggs, 510 P.2d 879, 89 Nev. 230, 59 A.L.R. 3d 81, 1973 Nev. LEXIS 478 (Neb. 1973).

Opinions

[231]*231OPINION

By the Court,

Batjer, J.:

On October 1, 1966, Barbara Adams was admitted to the Southern Nevada Memorial Hospital with a chronic kidney infection and hypertensive cardiovascular disease, and she was discharged on October 14, 1966. She was readmitted and again discharged November 14, 1966, with the understanding that she would be transferred to Los Angeles, California, for further treatment. Three days later she became ill and died while being transported by ambulance to the hospital. James Y. Clarke, M.D., who performed the postmortem examination, diagnosed the immediate cause of death to be pulmonary edema and congestion due to probable acute renal insufficiency with uremia and electrolyte imbalance.

A claim was filed on behalf of the minor children of Barbara Adams with the Board of County Commissioners of Clark County, Nevada, on November 2, 1967. After rejection of the claim a complaint was filed on December 21, 1967, by Margaret Turner, as legal guardian for the minors1 against the Clark County Board of Commissioners, Southern Nevada Memorial Hospital,2 Jack Staggs, Administrator thereof, Clark [232]*232County and Dr. H. Q. Adams, for the wrongful death of Barbara Adams.

The cause of action against the board of county commissioners in their individual capacity was dismissed by summary judgment dated January 13, 1970, and no appeal has been taken from that judgment. The complaint against Clark County was dismissed on motion for summary judgment on August 6, 1971, for failure to present a timely claim pursuant to NRS 244.245 and NRS 244.250.3 See also, NRS 41.031 and NRS 41.036. On August 25, 1971, the complaint against Jack Staggs was dismissed pursuant to NRCP 41(b). A trial was held on the alleged malpractice of Dr. H. Q. Adams and the jury returned a defense verdict.

In this appeal it is contended that the district court erred (1) in granting summary judgment in favor of Clark County and its hospital; (2) in dismissing the complaint against Jack Staggs as administrator of Southern Nevada Memorial Hospital;4 and (3) in giving certain instructions to the jury.

1. We cannot consider issues 2 and 3 because we have not been favored with a transcript of the proceedings in the district court, nor has the appellant submitted a settled and approved statement of the evidence or proceedings. NRCP 75 (n).

2. We direct our attention to the summary judgment. The [233]*233claim against Clark County was not filed until 13 months had elapsed after the death of Barbara Adams. NRS 244.250 requires that a claim against a county must be filed within 6 months after a cause of action arises.

In Barney v. County of Clark, 80 Nev. 104, 389 P.2d 392 (1964), this court held that the timely filing of a claim was a condition precedent to the commencement of an action against a county. Barney relied upon the reasoning in Artakovich v. Astendorf, 131 P.2d 831 (Cal. 1942). Artakovich in turn relied in part on the principle that neither the state nor any of its political subdivisions may be sued in the absence of specific statutory permission. In 1965 the State of Nevada, acting through its legislature, waived its immunity from liability and action and consented to have its liability determined in accordance with the same rules of law as are applied to civil actions against individuals and corporations. Stats, of Nev. 1965, ch. 505, p. 1413, codified as NRS 41.031. Furthermore the enactment placed all political subdivisions in a similar position. NRS 41.031.5

The requirement of giving notice presupposes the existence of an individual capable of giving it. McCrary v. City of Odessa, 482 S.W.2d 151 (Tex. 1972). To hold otherwise would be to disregard reality. Cf. Walgreen Co. v. Industrial Commission, 153 N.E. 831 (Ill. 1926); Lineberry v. Town of Mebane, 13 S.E.2d 429 (N.C. 1941). NRS 244.245 contains no provision for the filing of a claim by anyone other than the claimant. At the time of their mother’s death the minor children were between the ages of 5 and 13 years. In many jurisdictions children of tender years, because they are powerless to [234]*234act, have been excused from compliance with notice provisions. Simpson v. City of Abilene, 388 S.W.2d 760 (Tex.Civ. App. 1965), (7 years old). See also, City of Barnesville v. Powell, 183 S.E.2d 55 (Ga.App. 1971), (4 years old); McDonald v. City of Spring Valley, 120 N.E. 476 (Ill. 1918), (7 years old); Lazich v. Belanger, 105 P.2d 738 (Mont. 1940), (7 years old); Murphy v. Village of Ft. Edward, 107 N.E. 716 (N.Y. 1915), (5 years old); Webster v. City of Charlotte, 22 S.E.2d 900 (N.C. 1942), (8 years old); 18 E. McQuillin, The Law of Municipal Corporations § 53.159 (3rd rev. ed. 1963).

We could conclude that minority alone will excuse compliance with the notice requirements of NRS 244.245 and NRS 244.250 (City of Houston v. Bergstrom, 468 S.W.2d 588 (Tex.Civ.App. 1971); McCrary v. City of Odessa, supra; Grubaugh v. City of St. Johns, 180 N.W.2d 778 (Mich. 1970)) and dispose of this case upon the ground that the notice requirements of our claim statutes violate the rights of these minors to due process guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. However, we believe that the notice of claim requirements found in NRS 244.245 and NRS 244.250 as applied to governmental torts deny equal protection guaranteed by the United States Constitution.6

Within our present scheme of government, claim statutes serve no real beneficial use (Grubaugh v. City of St. Johns, supra) but they are indeed a trap for the unwary. NRS 41.038(1). If we follow Barney, the minor’s cause of action will be barred.

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Bluebook (online)
510 P.2d 879, 89 Nev. 230, 59 A.L.R. 3d 81, 1973 Nev. LEXIS 478, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/turner-v-staggs-nev-1973.