Anita Knaysi and Ed Knaysi v. A. H. Robins Company

Appellants Anita and Ed Knaysi filed suit against appellee A. H. Robins, Inc. (Robins) and its insurer seeking recovery of damages resulting from injuries to Anita Knaysi allegedly caused by her use of the Daikon Shield intrauterine device manufactured and distributed by Robins. Mrs. Knaysi became pregnant after insertion of the Daikon Shield and in the first trimester suffered a spontaneous septic abortion of twin fetuses. The Knaysis’ complaint sought recovery on the theories of negligence, breach of warranty, breach of implied contract, strict liability, fraud, conspiracy, and outrageous conduct. Basically the appellants sought to prove that Robins was aware from test results that the effectiveness of the device in preventing pregnancy was lower than it advertised and from both test results and the reports of physicians that spontaneous septic abortions often occurred in connection with its use. They alleged that, despite this adverse information, Robins concealed these reports and continued to issue false advertising to the medical community and the public about the superior efficacy and safety of its contraceptive.

The district court resolved the case in Robins’ favor on Robins’ motion for summary judgment. In granting that motion the district court addressed two issues:1 whether the fraud claim was a cause of action separate from the products liability claim for statute of limitations purposes and whether Robins was equitably estopped by its conduct from raising the bar of the statute of limitations. The controlling law on these issues is that of the state of New York. Record, vol. 22, at 291. The court ruled that the fraud claim should not be treated separately from the products liability claim and was therefore barred by expiration of the three-year limitation applicable to products liability actions2 and that the doctrine of equitable estoppel was inapplicable. We reverse the summary judgment in Robins’ favor because, appellants having adequately pleaded facts which if proved at trial could constitute equitable estoppel under New York law, there are genuine issues of material fact with respect to the application of that doctrine.

Under New York law equitable estoppel may arise in either of two ways. “Equitable estoppel sufficient to bar the interposition of the statute of limitations results from representations or conduct which have induced a party to postpone bringing suit on a known cause of action, or from fraudulent concealment of an action which is unknown to a party.” Parsons v. Department of Transportation, 74 Misc.2d 828, 344 N.Y.S.2d 19, 24 (Sup.Ct.1973) (emphasis added).3 Appellants contend that Robins has engaged in conduct of the latter type. Our review of the New York cases in which equitable estoppel of this kind was determined to apply persuades us that the Knaysis’ allegations come within their rationale.

Simcuski v. Saeli, 44 N.Y.2d 442, 377 N.E.2d 713, 406 N.Y.S.2d 259 (1978), was an action by a patient alleging that her physician negligently severed a nerve during surgery and fraudulently concealed this condition. In concluding that the doctrine of equitable estoppel applied to her case, the New York Court of Appeals reasoned: “This complaint ... .alleges that defendant intentionally concealed the alleged malpractice from plaintiff and falsely assured her of effective treatment, as a result of which plaintiff did not discover the injury to the nerve until [four years after the surgery].” Id. at 448, 377 N.E.2d at 716, 406 N.Y.S.2d at 262. In General Stencils, Inc. v. Chiappa, 18 N.Y.2d 125, 219 N.E.2d 169, 170, 272 N.Y.S.2d 337, 339 (1966), the New York Court of Appeals held that a plaintiff corporation suing its head bookkeeper for conversion of company funds was entitled to litigate the issue of equitable estoppel because the defendant’s wrongdoing — i.e., the theft and manipulation of the books — had fraudulently concealed the wrongdoing from the plaintiff’s notice. Finally in Erbe v. Lincoln Rochester Trust Co., 13 A.D.2d 211, 214 N.Y.S.2d 849 (1961), appeal dismissed, 11 N.Y.2d 754, 181 N.E.2d 629, 226 N.Y.S.2d 692 (1962), the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court held that the trial court had erred in dismissing the trust beneficiaries’ complaint for breach of fiduciary duty on the ground of the bar of the statute of limitations. The court reasoned: “In this action ... it should not be held that a trustee can take advantage of the limitations statute when the beneficiaries of the trust may have been led to believe that there was no breach of the relationship by statements of false facts or concealment of true facts by the fiduciary.” Id. at 213, 214 N.Y.S.2d at 852. Specifically, the beneficiaries alleged that the trustee, whom they charged with self-dealing in purchasing trust property, had falsely represented to them: “(1) that the trustee had a legal right to purchase the stock, (2) that [a court order] had authorized the trustee to acquire the stock and (3) that the stock was held by the trustee as collateral pledged by the settlor in his lifetime.” Id. at 213, 214 N.Y.S.2d at 851.

Two unifying factors appear in these cases. In each case the defendant has control and superior, or exclusive, knowledge of facts necessary for the plaintiff to make out a cause of action. Second, the defendant by affirmative misstatements conceals these essential facts from the plaintiff. In Simcuski the patient relied on her physician for proper diagnosis and treatment of the ailment that plagued her after surgery. His false assurances regarding curative treatment precluded the plaintiffs earlier discovery that the physician’s malpractice was the cause of her injury and consequently produced the delay in filing suit. In General Stencils the plaintiff company had entrusted its bookkeeper with the proper handling of and accounting for company funds. The bookkeeper’s manipulation of the books concealed the fact of her conversion. Likewise in Erbe the beneficiaries relied on the trustee to honor his duty of loyalty in managing trust property, and the trustee concealed his self-dealing by false statements about the manner in which he acquired or held the trust property and about his legal right to acquire the stock.

The facts of the present case offer no ground for distinction. The medical community and the consuming public, either directly or in justifiable reliance upon medical advice, rely on drug manufacturers for accurate information and assurances regarding the safety and efficacy of their products. The allegation is that Mrs. Knaysi and her gynecologist so relied in this case. Moreover, Robins is alleged to have published information about the Daikon Shield which it knew to be false and to have suppressed damaging information about the device’s danger. These facts were essential to make out the cause of action for products liability, breach of warranty, and other claims put forward by the Knaysis. Hence we conclude that the appellants’ allegations, when measured against the standards for equitable estoppel under New York law, are sufficient to invoke the application of that doctrine.

Having determined that the facts alleged could, if proved, estop Robins from pleading the bar of the statute of limitations, we further conclude that the issue of equitable estoppel was one inappropriate for summary judgment as there exist genuine issues of material fact to be resolved at trial. First, there are obvious questions of fact regarding the alleged misrepresentations made by Robins. In Dupuis v. Van Natten, 61 A.D.2d 293, 402 N.Y.S.2d 242 (1978), the Appellate Division, affirming the trial court’s holding that triable issues of fact precluded entry of summary judgment for defendant, noted the “bona fide issues of fact concerning the alleged misrepresentations which resulted in plaintiffs’ failure to institute a timely action.” Id. at 295, 402 N.Y.S.2d at 243.

In addition, the highest state court in New York recently has endorsed the notion that the plaintiff’s due diligence in bringing suit must “be demonstrated by the plaintiff when he seeks the shelter of the doctrine [of equitable estoppel].” Simcuski v. Saeli, 44 N.Y.2d at 450, 377 N.E.2d at 717, 406 N.Y.S.2d at 263. The Court of Appeals went on to state:

Whether in any particular instance the plaintiff will have discharged his responsibility of due diligence in this regard must necessarily depend on all the relevant circumstances.... It is not possible or appropriate, however, on the present motion [to dismiss] addressed to the pleading, ... to determine whether this plaintiff met her obligation of due diligence when she instituted the present action .....

Id. (emphasis added). Other cases in the New York courts echo the conclusion that the question of a plaintiff’s due diligence is a question of fact unsuited for summary judgment. In Renz v. Beeman, a diversity action in which New York law governed, the Second Circuit opined “that the test for timely knowledge under the doctrine of equitable estoppel is similar to that set forth with regard to fraud in CPLR § 213(8)— ‘could with reasonable diligence have discovered it.’ ” 589 F.2d at 751-52. In Erbe v. Lincoln Rochester Trust Co., 3 N.Y.2d 321, 144 N.E.2d 78, 165 N.Y.S.2d 107 (1957), a fraud action, the New York Court of Appeals elaborated on this reasonable diligence test and the inappropriateness of summary disposition:

[T]he plaintiffs will be held to have discovered the fraud when it is established that they were possessed of knowledge of facts from which it could be reasonably inferred, that is, inferred from facts which indicate the alleged fraud. Ordinarily such an inquiry presents a mixed question of law and fact ... and, where it does not conclusively appear that the plaintiffs had knowledge of facts of that nature a complaint should not be dismissed on motion.

Id. at 326, 144 N.E.2d at 80-81, 165 N.Y.S.2d at 111 (citations omitted) (emphasis added). See also Erbe v. Lincoln Rochester Trust Co., 13 A.D.2d 211, 214 N.Y.S.2d 849 (1961), appeal dismissed, 11 N.Y.2d 754, 181 N.E.2d 629, 226 N.Y.S.2d 692 (1962) (motion to dismiss should be denied and plaintiff permitted to litigate estoppel issue). In light of these cases we must conclude that the Knaysis’ diligence in pursuing their claims against Robins is a triable issue of fact in this case.

For the foregoing reasons, we reverse the district court’s grant of summary judgment for appellee Robins and remand for further proceedings. On remand the appellants are entitled to litigate not only the issue of estoppel but also all other counts raised by their complaint since the Knaysis may prevail on the estoppel issue.4

REVERSED and REMANDED.