Lewis v. Associated Medical Institutions, Inc., 76--1061

Decision Date10 May 1977
Docket NumberNo. 76--1061,76--1061
Citation345 So.2d 852
Parties21 UCC Rep.Serv. 965 Thornton LEWIS, Individually and as father and next friend of Jeffrey Lewis, a minor, Appellant, v. ASSOCIATED MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS, INC., d/b/a Hialeah Hospital, a Florida Corporation, Appellee.
CourtFlorida District Court of Appeals

Marlow, Mitzel, Ortmayer & Shofi, Greene & Cooper, Miami, for appellant.

Thornton, Dougherty & Conroy, Sam Daniels, Miami, for appellee.

Before PEARSON, HAVERFIELD and HUBBART, JJ.

PEARSON, Judge.

The appellant sued for personal injuries claimed to have been incurred by his minor son, who contracted serum hepatitis after having been furnished blood by the defendant hospital. The blood was furnished on dates between May 22, 1969, and June 23, 1969. The depositions on file establish without controversy that the parents of the minor discovered that he had contracted serum hepatitis on August 24, 1969 Suit was filed on June 27, 1973, more than three years from discovery.

Section 672.2--316(5), Florida Statutes (1973), which became effective June 24, 1969, provided:

'(5) The procurement, processing, storage, distribution, or use of whose blood, plasma, blood products, and blood derivatives for the purpose of injecting or transfusing the same, or any of them, into the human body for any purpose whatsoever is declared to be the rendering of a service by any person participating therein and does not constitute a sale, whether or not any consideration is given therefor and the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose shall not be applicable as to a defect that cannot be detected or removed by reasonable use of scientific procedures or techniques.'

The trial judge entered a summary final judgment for the hospital. On this appeal, two reasons for the trial court's determination that the hospital was entitled to a judgment as a matter of law are presented by the hospital and argued by the plaintiff. The first is that the trial judge erroneously applied the three year statute of limitations, Section 95.11(5)(e), Florida Statutes (1973), rather than the four year provision of the statute of limitations, Section 95.11(4), Florida Statutes (1973). The second is that the action is barred by Section 672.2--316(5), above quoted. Inasmuch as we hold that the trial court correctly held that the action is barred by the above statute, we do not discuss the statute of limitations point.

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3 cases
  • Florida Power & Light Co. v. Westinghouse Elec. Corp.
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Fourth Circuit
    • June 30, 1978
    ...or defenses under the U.C.C. to parties to a pre-Code transaction.5a Although not directly on point, Lewis v. Associated Medical Institutions (Fla.App.3d Dist.1977) 345 So.2d 852, can, but need not, be read to support the Westinghouse position that the U.C.C. is applicable in the instant si......
  • Dubin v. Dow Corning Corp.
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • October 2, 1985
    ...occurs when the defect is or should be discovered. AB CTC v. Morejon, 324 So.2d 625, 628 (Fla.1975); Lewis v. Associated Medical Institutions, Inc., 345 So.2d 852, 854 (Fla. 3d DCA), cert. denied, 353 So.2d 676 (Fla.1977); Vilord v. Jenkins, 226 So.2d 245, 247 (Fla. 2d DCA 1969). In cases w......
  • Lewis v. Associated Medical Institutions, Inc.
    • United States
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • October 13, 1977

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