HB-5905, As Passed House, July 6, 2004

SUBSTITUTE FOR

HOUSE BILL NO. 5905

                                                                             A bill to amend 1961 PA 236, entitled                                             

"Revised judicature act of 1961,"                                           

by amending section 2912e (MCL 600.2912e), as amended by 1993 PA            

78.                                                                         

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

1       Sec. 2912e.  (1) In an action alleging medical malpractice,                 

2   within 21 days after the plaintiff has  filed served an                    

3   affidavit in compliance with section 2912d, the defendant shall             

4   file an answer to the complaint.  Subject to subsection (2), the            

5   defendant or, if the defendant is represented by an attorney, the           

6   defendant's attorney shall file, not later than 91 days after the           

7   plaintiff or the plaintiff's attorney files the affidavit                   

8   required under section 2912d or 112 days after service on the               

9   defendant of the complaint, whichever is later, an affidavit of             

10  meritorious defense signed by a health professional who the                 

1   defendant's attorney reasonably believes meets the requirements             

2   for an expert witness under section 2169.  The affidavit of                 

3   meritorious defense shall certify that the health professional              

4   has reviewed the complaint and all medical records supplied to              

5   him or her by the defendant's attorney concerning the allegations           

6   contained in the complaint and shall contain a statement of each            

7   of the following:                                                           

8       (a) The factual basis for each defense to the claims made                   

9   against the defendant in the complaint.                                     

10      (b) The standard of practice or care that the health                        

11  professional or health facility named as a defendant in the                 

12  complaint claims to be applicable to the action and that the                

13  health professional or health facility complied with that                   

14  standard.                                                                   

15      (c) The manner in which it is claimed by the health                         

16  professional or health facility named as a defendant in the                 

17  complaint that there was compliance with the applicable standard            

18  of practice or care.                                                        

19      (d) The manner in which the health professional or health                   

20  facility named as a defendant in the complaint contends that the            

21  alleged injury or alleged damage to the plaintiff is not related            

22  to the care and treatment rendered.                                         

23      (2) If the plaintiff in an action alleging medical                          

24  malpractice fails to allow access to medical records as required            

25  under section  2912b(6) 2912b(5), the affidavit required under             

26  subsection (1) may be filed within 91 days after filing an answer           

27  to the complaint.                                                           

1   (3) Subject to subsection (6) and except for a formal defect                

2   to which subsection (5) applies, a plaintiff who wishes to                  

3   challenge an affidavit of meritorious defense filed under this              

4   section because of a formal defect shall, within 91 days after              

5   the affidavit is served on the plaintiff, file with the court and           

6   serve on the defendant a written challenge stating the alleged              

7   defect with sufficient specificity to give the defendant notice             

8   of the defect.  A defendant who is served with a challenge under            

9   this subsection or a motion based on a formal defect under                  

10  subsection (5) may file and serve an affidavit correcting only              

11  the alleged defect within 63 days after being served with the               

12  challenge or motion.  The correcting affidavit shall be given by            

13  the same affiant who gave the original affidavit unless the                 

14  original affiant has become unable to give an affidavit because             

15  of death or disability.  The correcting affidavit relates back to           

16  the date the original affidavit was filed unless otherwise                  

17  ordered by the court.                                                       

18      (4) Subject to subsection (6), a plaintiff who wishes to                    

19  challenge an affidavit of meritorious defense that has been                 

20  challenged under subsection (3) and not corrected or an affidavit           

21  that has been corrected under subsection (3), because of a formal           

22  defect, shall file a motion challenging the affidavit not later             

23  than 21 days after the corrected affidavit is served or, if a               

24  corrected affidavit is not served, 21 days after the time to                

25  serve the corrected affidavit under subsection (3) has passed.              

26      (5) Subject to subsection (6), a plaintiff who wishes to                    

27  challenge an affidavit of meritorious defense filed under this              

House Bill No. 5905 (H-3) as amended July 6, 2004

1   section because of a substantive defect or a formal defect that             

2   the plaintiff for good cause did not discover before the time for           

3   serving a challenge under subsection (3) shall file a motion                

4   challenging the defect not later than 35 days after the ordered             

5   close of discovery in the action or 35 days after the completion            

6   of the deposition of the affiant, whichever is later.  The time             

7   to challenge an affidavit of meritorious defense under this                 

8   subsection may be extended by the parties in a written                      

9   stipulation filed with the court or by order of the court on a              

10  showing of good cause.  A formal defect described in this                   

11  subsection may be corrected under subsection [(3)].  A substantive          

12  defect may not be corrected under subsection [(3)].                         

13      (6) An affidavit of meritorious defense filed under this                    

14  section may be challenged at any time for a defect resulting from           

15  the intentional misconduct of the defendant or the defendant's              

16  attorney.  A defect described in this subsection may not be                 

17  corrected under subsection (3).                                             

18      (7) If an affidavit required by this section is taken before                

19  a notary public or justice of the peace in another state, it is             

20  not necessary that the signature and official status of the                 

21  notary public or justice of the peace be certified by the clerk             

22  of a court as otherwise required by section 2102(4).                        

23      (8) As used in this section:                                                

24      (a) "Formal defect" means a defect to which 1 or both of the                

25  following apply:                                                            

26                                                                               (i) The defect is in the notarization of the affidavit.                             

27      (ii) The defect results from an inadvertent clerical error,                  

House Bill No. 5905 (H-3) as amended July 6, 2004

1   [                              ] a typographical, grammatical, or           

2   punctuation error, improper pagination, and missing pages,                  

3   including a page with a signature if the signed page was in                 

4   existence at the time the affidavit was required to be filed                

5   under subsection (1) or (2).                                                

6       (b) "Substantive defect" means a defect that is not a formal                

7   defect.

8       Enacting section 1.  This amendatory act does not take                      

9   effect unless House Bill No. 5338 of the 92nd Legislature is                

10  enacted into law.                                                           

11      Enacting section 2.  This amendatory act applies only to                    

12  civil actions filed on or after the effective date of this                  

13  amendatory act.