Senate Bill 2012

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 11-11-3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE VENUE; TO AMEND SECTION 85-5-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE LIMITATION OF JOINT AND SEVERAL LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES CAUSED BY TWO OR MORE DEFENDANTS; TO PROVIDE A LIMITATION ON THE AWARD OF HEDONIC DAMAGES; TO REVISE THE AMOUNT OF AN APPEAL BOND; TO ENACT A COLLATERAL SOURCE RULE; TO PROVIDE IMMUNITY TO AN INNOCENT PREMISES OWNER FOR THE CRIMINAL ACTS OF THIRD PARTIES; TO CAP HEDONIC DAMAGES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 11-11-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, as amended by House Bill No. 2, 2002 Third Extraordinary Session, is amended as follows:

11-11-3. (1) Civil actions of which the circuit court has original jurisdiction shall be commenced in the county in which the alleged act or omission occurred, except where otherwise provided, and except actions of trespass on land, ejectment and actions for the statutory penalty for cutting and boxing trees and firing woods and actions for the actual value of trees cut which shall be brought in the county where the land or some part thereof is situated.

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(2) If a civil action is brought in an improper county, such action may be transferred to the proper county pursuant to Section 11-11-17.

SECTION 2. Section 85-5-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, as amended by House Bill No. 2, 2002 Third Extraordinary Session, is amended as follows:

85-5-7. (1) As used in this section "fault" means an act or omission of a person which is a proximate cause of injury or death to another person or persons, damages to property, tangible or intangible, or economic injury, including, but not limited to, negligence, malpractice, strict liability, absolute liability or failure to warn. "Fault" shall not include any tort which results from an act or omission committed with a specific wrongful intent.

(2) Except as may be otherwise provided in subsections (6) and (8) of this section, in any civil action based on fault, the liability for damages caused by two (2) or more persons shall be joint and several only to the extent necessary for the person suffering injury, death or loss to recover fifty percent (50%) of his recoverable damages if the defendant's fault is determined to be thirty percent (30%) or more. For any defendant whose fault is determined to be less than thirty percent (30%), liability shall be several only.

(3) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (2) and (6) of this section, in any civil action based on fault, the liability for damages caused by two (2) or more persons shall be several only, and not joint and several and a joint tort-feasor shall be liable only for the amount of damages allocated to him in direct proportion to his percentage of fault. In assessing percentages of fault an employer and the employer's employee or a principal and the principal's agent shall be considered as one (1) defendant when the liability of such employer or principal has been caused by the wrongful or negligent act or omission of the employee or agent.

(4) Any defendant held jointly liable under this section shall have a right of contribution against fellow joint tort-feasors. A defendant shall be held responsible for contribution to other joint tort-feasors only for the percentage of fault assessed to such defendant.

(5) Nothing in this section shall eliminate or diminish any defenses or immunities which currently exist, except as expressly noted herein.

(6) Joint and several liability shall be imposed on all who consciously and deliberately pursue a common plan or design to commit a tortious act, or actively take part in it. Any person held jointly and severally liable under this section shall have a right of contribution from his fellow defendants acting in concert.

(7) In actions involving joint tort-feasors, the trier of fact shall determine the percentage of fault for each party alleged to be at fault.

(8) Except as provided in subsection (6) of this section, in any action against a licensed physician, psychologist, osteopath, dentist, nurse, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, pharmacist, podiatrist, optometrist, chiropractor, hospital, institution for the aged or infirm, or licensed pharmacy, including any legal entity which may be liable for their acts or omissions, for malpractice, negligence, error, omission, mistake or the unauthorized rendering of professional services which involve joint tort-feasors, the trier of fact shall determine the percentage of fault for each joint tort-feasor, including named parties and absent tort-feasors, without regard to whether the joint tort-feasor is immune from damages. For noneconomic damages, a defendant's liability shall be several only. For economic damages, for any defendant whose fault is determined to be less than thirty percent (30%), liability shall be several only and for any defendant whose fault is determined to be thirty percent (30%) or more, liability shall be joint and several only to the extent necessary for the person suffering injury, death or loss to recover fifty percent (50%) of his recoverable damages. Fault allocated under this subsection to an immune tort-feasor or a tort-feasor whose liability is limited by law shall not be reallocated to any other tort-feasor.

(9) Nothing in this section shall be construed to create a cause of action. Nothing in this section shall be construed, in any way, to alter the immunity of any person.

SECTION 3. Section 11-3-23, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

11-3-23. In case the judgment or decree of the court below be affirmed, or the appellant fails to prosecute his appeal to effect, the Supreme Court shall render judgment against the appellant for damages, at the rate of ten percent (10%), as follows: If the judgment or decree affirmed be for a sum of money, the damages shall be upon such sum. If the judgment or decree be for the possession of real or personal property, the damages shall be assessed on the value of the property. If the judgment or decree be for the dissolution of an injunction or other restraining process at law or in chancery, the damages shall be computed on the amount due the appellee which was enjoined or restrained. If the judgment or decree be for the dissolution of an injunction or other restraining process as to certain property, real or personal, or a certain interest in property, or be a judgment or decree for the sale of property, or some interest in it, to satisfy a sum out of the proceeds of sale, or to enforce or establish a lien or charge or claim upon or some interest in property, and the only matter complained of on the appeal is the decree as to some particular property or claim on it, the damages shall be computed on the value of the property or the interest in it, if the value of the property or interest in it be less than the judgment or decree against it; but if the value of the property or interest in it be greater than the amount of the judgment or decree against it, the damages shall be upon the amount of the judgment or decree; provided, however, the above penalty shall not be assessed against any condemnee appealing from a special court of eminent domain in any circumstances.

SECTION 4. On motion by a defendant or upon its own motion, the court shall hear evidence of any amount of such damages incurred prior to the judgment which the defendant or defendants claim was replaced, compensated or indemnified pursuant to the United States Social Security Act, any state or federal income-disability act, any health, sickness or income-disability insurance, any accident insurance that provides health benefits or income-disability coverage, any contract or agreement of any group, organization, partnership, or corporation to provide, pay for or reimburse the cost of medical, hospital, dental or other health care services, any contract or agreement to continue to pay, in whole or in part, the plaintiff's wages or income, or any other collateral source of benefits whatsoever. If the defendant elects to introduce such evidence, the plaintiff may introduce evidence of any amount the plaintiff himself paid or contributed to secure his right to the benefits concerning which the defendant has introduced evidence. The plaintiff may also introduce evidence of any leave time lost due to the personal injury. The presiding judge shall reduce the jury award by the amount of such benefits less any amount which the plaintiff has paid or contributed to secure such benefits. There shall be no reduction for collateral sources for which a subrogation or reimbursement right exists. Such reduction shall be offset to the extent of any amount which has been paid, contributed, or forfeited by, or on behalf of, the claimant or members of the claimant's immediate family to secure her or his right to any collateral source benefit which the claimant is receiving as a result of her or his injury.

SECTION 5. No owner, lessee or person in control of any property or premises shall be held liable for failing to prevent or failing to deter any act or omission committed by another person upon such property or premises that is a reckless, wanton, intentionally wrongful, illegal or criminal act unless the owner, lessee or person in control knew or should have known of prior similar occurrences.

SECTION 6. Except as provided in Section 7 of House Bill No. 2, 2002 Third Extraordinary Session, in any civil action for injury in which the trier of fact finds the defendant liable, the plaintiff shall not be awarded more than One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) for hedonic damages. For purposes of this section, hedonic damages means damages for the enjoyment of life of the deceased or injured person, as measured separately from the economic productive value that an injured or deceased person would have had.

SECTION 7. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after January 1, 2003, and shall apply to all causes of action filed on or after that date.