Order Michigan Supreme Court
Lansing, Michigan
February 1, 2008 Clifford W. Taylor,
Chief Justice
133215 Michael F. Cavanagh
133216 Elizabeth A. Weaver
133217 Marilyn Kelly
133218 Maura D. Corrigan
Robert P. Young, Jr.
Stephen J. Markman,
Justices
JUDY A. LONG, Personal
Representative of the Estate
of James E. Long, Deceased
Plaintiff-Appellee,
v SC: 133215-133218
COA: 261049, 261050, 261051,
261052
Wayne CC: 03-330994-NH
DR. FOLAYAN GOODSON,
HENRY FORD MEDICAL CENTER,
and HENRY FORD HEALTH
SYSTEM,
Defendants-Appellants,
and
BOTSFORD GENERAL HOSPITAL,
DANIEL L. RICHARDSON, D.O.,
DR. PENNINGTON, ROBERT
BRECKENFELD, D.O., DR. ANDREW
HANS RIKKERS, DR. MAUREEN
NELSON, DR. JENNINGS, SANFORD
SKLAR, and EARL T. HECKER, D.O.
Defendants-Appellees.
_________________________________________/
By order of May 30, 2007, the application for leave to appeal the April 18, 2006
judgment of the Court of Appeals was held in abeyance pending the decision in Mullins v
St Joseph Mercy Hosp (Docket No. 131879). On order of the Court, the case having been
decided on November 28, 2007, 480 Mich ___ (2007), the application is again considered
and, pursuant to MCR 7.302(G)(1), in lieu of granting leave to appeal, we REVERSE the
judgment of the Court of Appeals because the court erred in invoking the doctrine of
equitable tolling under these circumstances. Devillers v Auto Club Ins Ass’n, 473 Mich
562, 586-587 n 65 (2005). However, because the plaintiff falls within the class of
2
plaintiffs entitled to relief identified in our order in Mullins, supra, we REMAND this
case to the Wayne Circuit Court for entry of an order denying the defendants’ motion for
summary disposition and for further proceedings not inconsistent with this order and the
order in Mullins.
CAVANAGH and WEAVER, JJ., concur in the result.
KELLY, J., concurs and states as follows:
I concur with the conclusion that our decision in Waltz v Wyse1 does not bar
plaintiff’s claim. But, as explained in my statement in Mazumder v Univ of Michigan Bd
of Regents,2 given the state of the law when the Court of Appeals rendered its decision,
resort to the doctrine of equitable tolling was highly appropriate.
1
Waltz v Wyse, 469 Mich 642 (2004).
2
Mazumder v Univ of Michigan Bd of Regents, ___ Mich ___ (2008).
I, Corbin R. Davis, Clerk of the Michigan Supreme Court, certify that the
foregoing is a true and complete copy of the order entered at the direction of the Court.
February 1, 2008 _________________________________________
l0129 Clerk