Williams v. Vick Chemical Company

279 F. Supp. 833, 1967 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8064
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Iowa
DecidedSeptember 28, 1967
DocketCiv. 3-734-D
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 279 F. Supp. 833 (Williams v. Vick Chemical Company) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Williams v. Vick Chemical Company, 279 F. Supp. 833, 1967 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8064 (S.D. Iowa 1967).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

STEPHENSON, Chief Judge.

This matter is now before the Court on the motions of both defendants to dismiss under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12. Each defendant moves to dismiss on the grounds that (1) the complaint fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, (2) the Court has no jurisdiction of the subject matter, (3) the action is barred by the Statute of Limitations for matters of this type as set forth in the Iowa Code. Defendants further move to dismiss, or in lieu thereof, to quash the return of service on the grounds, (1) plaintiff has failed to follow the procedural requirements of the Iowa Code for service of process and (2) the Court has no jurisdiction over these defendants.

Plaintiff sues as executrix of the estate of Robert H. Williams, deceased. She alleges defendants manufactured and sold for resale one bottle of “Vicks *835 Theracin Double-Buffered Cold Tablets,” which, on or about April 2, 1965, plaintiff’s decedent purchased from a drug store in Clinton, Iowa. Plaintiff alleges further that as a result of taking said tablets plaintiff’s decedent thereafter became ill and died on December 11, 1965, from the effects of aplastic anemia. Plaintiff alleges negligence and breach of an implied warranty of fitness, and claims damages for decedent’s pain and suffering, the wrongful death of plaintiff’s decedent, and loss of decedent’s services and support as husband and father.

In considering this motion to dismiss on the ground that the complaint fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, this Court is bound by the rule that “there is no justification for dismissing the complaint unless it appears to a certainty that the plaintiff would be entitled to no relief under any state of facts which could be proved in support of the claim.” Young v. Hicks, 250 F.2d 80, 84 (8th Cir. 1957) (emphasis added). Further, defendants have failed to specify in what manner the complaint fails to state a claim and have filed no memorandum in support of this ground or any other ground asserted in their motion to dismiss. Therefore, the allegations of the complaint must be taken as true for the purposes of this motion, and it cannot be said the facts alleged in the complaint are not sufficient to grant relief. See generally, Tice v. Wilmington Chemical Corp., 141 N.W.2d 616 (Iowa 1966). The Court denies the motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.

The complaint states plaintiff is a citizen of Iowa and the plaintiff’s decedent at the time of his death was a citizen of Iowa. Defendants are corporations incorporated in the State of Delaware, having their principal places of business in states other than Iowa. The amount claimed as damages totals $400,-000 which clearly exceeds the jurisdictional minimum of $10,000. The above facts established diversity of citizenship of the parties and a claim in excess of the jurisdictional amount. This Court therefore has jurisdiction of the subject matter and the defendants’ motion to dismiss should be denied on the ground of lack of subject matter jurisdiction.

In respect to defendants’ motion to dismiss on the ground the action is barred by the applicable statute of limitations, the complaint alleges the purchase of the “cold tablets” on April 2, 1965 and the death of plaintiff’s decedent on December 11, 1965. The record reveals that this action was filed on March 30, 1967, and the summons were delivered to the United States Marshal for service on that same date. Duplicate copies of the summons were filed with the Secretary of State on April 5, 1967, and defendants received notice by restricted certified mail on April 10, 1967.

The applicable statute of limitations is that of the State of Iowa. Burkhardt v. Bates, 191 F.Supp. 149 (N.D.Iowa 1961) aff’d, 296 F.2d 315 (8th Cir. 1961); Groninger v. Davison 364 F.2d 638 (8th Cir. 1966). Section 614.1, Iowa Code (1966), contains the applicable statutory provision. Section 614.1 provides in part:

“Actions may be brought within the times herein limited, respectively, after their causes accrue, and not afterwards, * * *
“3. * * * Those founded on injuries to the person or reputation, including injuries to relative rights, whether based on contract or tort, or for a statute penalty, within two years.”

Service of Process was made under § 617.3, Iowa Code (1966), which provides in part:

“For the purpose of determining whether an action has been commenced within the time allowed by statutes for limitation of actions, the filing of the original notice with the secretary of state shall be deemed a commencement of the action.”

Thus, for the purpose of applying the two year limitation of 614.1(3) this *836 action was commenced on April 5, 1967, the date of filing with the secretary of .state.

As noted above, plaintiff states in the complaint that plaintiff’s decedent purchased the medication on April 2, 1965, and commenced taking the tablets, becoming weak and sick “shortly thereafter.” It is not clear from these alleged facts when the cause of action accrued, i. e., when plaintiff’s decedent became aware, or by the exercise of reasonable diligence should have become aware, of any injury arising by reason of the negligence or breach of implied warranty by the defendants. Chrischilles v. Griswold, 150 N.W.2d 94, 100 (Iowa 1967). For this reason the Court denies defendants’ motion to dismiss on the ground the action is barred by the statute of limitations, with leave to assert it again .at a later stage of the proceedings if the facts should warrant.

In addition, however, defendants move to dismiss, or in lieu thereof, to quash .service, for lack of jurisdiction over the defendants. Defendants contend that plaintiff has failed to satisfy and follow the procedural requirements of the Iowa Code.

Service of process was made pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 4(d) (7) which provides that service may be obtained “in the manner prescribed by law of the state in which the district court is held * The relevant Iowa law is the' Iowa “long arm” statute, § 617.3 Iowa Code (1966), which provides:

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Bluebook (online)
279 F. Supp. 833, 1967 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8064, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/williams-v-vick-chemical-company-iasd-1967.