Southwick v. Seattle Police Officer John Doe No. 1
Southwick v. Seattle Police Officer John Doe No. 1
Opinion of the Court
¶1 Matthew Southwick appeals the dismissal of his claims against the city of Seattle for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted and his claims against King County on summary judgment. He contends that Washington’s claims-filing statute, RCW 4.96.020(4), tolled the statute of limitations for his civil rights claims. He also asserts that the trial court improperly refused to consider an untimely declaration of a previ
Background
¶2 Southwick was arrested by Seattle police officers on April 4, 2002. When he was booked into King County jail, he complained of shortness of breath and expressed fear that several of his ribs were broken during his arrest. He was examined by a nurse, who found no evidence of a broken rib and determined that his breathing appeared normal. He was examined again 36 hours later, at which time a nurse diagnosed a possible collapsed lung. Southwick was transferred to Harborview Medical Center, where the diagnosis of a collapsed lung was confirmed.
¶3 Southwick remained at Harborview for 10 days, during which time he developed a streptococcal infection. He was treated with antibiotics before being returned to the King County jail infirmary. He was released several days later.
¶4 On June 3, 2005, Southwick filed a complaint against unnamed Seattle police officers, the city of Seattle, and King County, alleging assault and battery, wrongful arrest, negligence, and civil rights violations under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
¶5 On November 28, 2005, the trial court granted the city’s motion to dismiss, ruling that Southwick’s claims against it were barred by the statutes of limitations.
¶6 On October 11, 2006, King County filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing that Southwick had not identified any witnesses to support the allegations of his complaint. The county also presented expert testimony that Southwick was provided access to appropriate medical care and that the care he received while incarcerated was proper. This motion was set for hearing on November 17, 2006, 10 days before the scheduled trial date.
¶8 The trial court granted the county’s motion to strike Dr. Fleet’s declaration but considered Southwick’s untimely brief. It then granted summary judgment in favor of the county.
Standard of Review
¶9 Whether dismissal of Southwick’s claims against the city was appropriate under CR 12(b)(6) is a question of law that we review de novo.
¶10 We review summary judgment de novo, engaging in the same inquiry as the trial court.
Discussion
Statute of Limitations
¶12 Against the city, Southwick alleged the intentional torts of assault and battery, and false arrest and imprisonment. These torts are subject to a two-year statute of limitations under RCW 4.16.100.
¶13 Southwick was arrested on April 4,2002. He filed his complaint three years and two months later, on June 3, 2005.
¶14 Since there is no statute of limitations for claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, the appropriate limitation period for a § 1983 action is the forum state’s statute of limitations for personal injury cases, which in Washington is three years.
¶15 Southwick argues that this three-year statute of limitations was tolled under RCW 4.96.020, which states that no action on any tort claim against a local governmental entity shall be commenced until 60 days have elapsed
¶16 Our Supreme Court recently held that RCW 4.96-.020 does not apply to § 1983 actions.
¶17 As the United States Supreme Court noted in Felder v. Casey,
¶18 Southwick relies on Harding v. Galceran
¶19 The Ninth Circuit revisited the tolling issue in Silva v. Crain
¶20 The Ninth Circuit disagreed, noting that the special statute of limitations applied only when claims were presented to a public agency. The court emphasized that state notice claims and their special statutes of limitations generally have no applicability to § 1983 actions.
¶21 As in Silva, the relevant law is a notice of claims statute containing a tolling provision. The tolling provision of RCW 4.96.020(4) is not a general tolling provision applicable to all personal injury actions. It is contained in the same statute requiring a delay of 60 days following the mandatory filing of a state claim with a local government agency before the commencement of suit and is inextricably intertwined with this claim-filing requirement. It has no application generally to personal injury actions where no claim is required, and no applicability to § 1983.
¶22 Since Southwick was not required to file a claim with the city before commencing his federal § 1983 action, he was not delayed in commencing his action by the 60 days prescribed in RCW 4.96.020(4). The tolling period contained in subsection (4) of this statute is analogous to an equitable tolling of a statute of limitations when a party must exhaust administrative remedies before filing suit. How
Untimely Declaration
¶23 In its motion for summary judgment, the county asserted that Southwick had not identified any witnesses to support the allegations of his complaint. The county also submitted expert testimony supporting dismissal of South-wick’s claims on the merits. Three days before the hearing on the county’s motion, Southwick filed a declaration by Jacob Fleet, MD, a physician who reviewed the medical records for Southwick. Dr. Fleet had not been previously disclosed. Upon the county’s motion, the trial court struck Dr. Fleet’s declaration but considered Southwick’s untimely brief. At oral argument counsel for Southwick conceded that, without Dr. Fleet’s declaration, the record raised no genuine issue of material fact regarding the county’s dismissal.
¶24 Southwick asserts that the court erred in striking Dr. Fleet’s declaration. We disagree. The trial court has discretion whether to accept or reject an untimely declaration.
Conclusion
¶25 The trial court’s order of dismissal and its order of summary judgment are affirmed.
State ex rel. Evergreen Freedom Found, v. Wash. Educ. Ass’n, 140 Wn.2d 615, 629, 999 P.2d 602 (2000).
Bravo v. Dolsen Cos., 125 Wn.2d 745, 750, 888 P.2d 147 (1995).
Tenore v. AT&T Wireless Servs., 136 Wn.2d 322, 330, 962 P.2d 104 (1998) (quoting Hoffer v. State, 110 Wn.2d 415, 420, 755 P.2d 781 (1998)).
City of Sequim v. Malkasian, 157 Wn.2d 251, 261, 138 P.3d 943 (2006).
CR 56(c).
Dempere v. Nelson, 76 Wn. App. 403, 405-06, 886 P.2d. 219 (1994).
Orion Corp. v. State, 109 Wn.2d 621, 638, 747 P.2d 1062 (1987).
Folsom v. Burger King, 135 Wn.2d 658, 663, 958 P.2d 301 (1998).
Heckart v. City of Yakima, 42 Wn. App. 38, 39, 708 P.2d 407 (1985).
Robinson v. City of Seattle, 119 Wn.2d 34, 86, 830 P.2d 318 (1992).
RCW 4.96.020(4).
RCW 4.96.020(4).
Wright v. Terrell, 162 Wn.2d 192, 196, 170 P.3d 570 (2007) (citing Felder v. Casey, 487 U.S. 131, 138, 108 S. Ct. 2302, 101 L. Ed. 2d 123 (1988)).
Felder, 487 U.S. at 138.
487 U.S. 131, 108 S. Ct. 2302, 101 L. Ed. 2d 123 (1988).
Felder, 487 U.S. at 140.
Felder, 487 U.S. at 140.
Felder, 487 U.S. at 140.
West v. CONRAIL, 481 U.S. 35, 39-40, 107 S. Ct. 1538, 95 L. Ed. 2d 32 (1987).
Felder, 487 U.S. at 153.
889 F.2d 906 (9th Cir. 1989).
Harding, 889 F.2d at 908-09.
Harding, 889 F.2d at 909.
169 F.3d 608 (9th Cir. 1999).
Silva, 169 F.3d at 610.
Silva, 169 F.3d at 610.
Silva, 169 F.3d at 610.
Silva, 169 F.3d at 611.
Silva, 169 F.3d at 610-11,
Milligan v. Thompson, 90 Wn. App. 586, 597, 953 P.2d 112 (1998).
Brown v. Peoples Mortgage Co., 48 Wn. App. 554, 559, 739 P.2d 1188 (1987).
Allied Fin. Servs. v. Mangum, 72 Wn. App. 164, 168-69, 864 P.2d 1075 (1993).
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Matthew Southwick v. Seattle Police Officer John Doe No. 1, The City of Seattle
- Cited By
- 22 cases
- Status
- Published