Order Michigan Supreme Court
Lansing, Michigan
February 1, 2008 Clifford W. Taylor,
Chief Justice
133209 Michael F. Cavanagh
133210 Elizabeth A. Weaver
Marilyn Kelly
Maura D. Corrigan
Robert P. Young, Jr.
JUDY A. LONG, Personal Representative Stephen J. Markman,
Justices
of the Estate of James E. Long, Deceased,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
v SC: 133209-133210
COA: 261050, 261051
Wayne CC: 03-330994-NH
DR. FOLAYAN GOODSON, HENRY
FORD MEDICAL CENTER, HENRY
FORD HEALTH SYSTEM, EARL T.
HECKER, D.O., DR. JENNINGS, and
DR. SANFORD SKLAR,
Defendants,
and
BOTSFORD GENERAL HOSPITAL,
DANIEL L. RICHARDSON, D.O.,
ROBERT BRECKENFELD, D.O.,
DR. PENNINGTON, DR. ANDREW
HANS RIKKERS, and DR. MAUREEN
NELSON,
Defendants-Appellants.
_________________________________________/
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
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.
2
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