Flournoy v. State of California

GIBSON, C. J.

The State of California, the Department of Public Works, and the Division of Highways were joined with other defendants in an action brought by the husband and children of a woman killed in an automobile accident.

A general demurrer was sustained to plaintiffs’ complaint, and they have appealed from the ensuing judgment of dismissal which was entered on September 22, 1960.

During the pendency of the appeal

Muskopf

v.

Corning Hospital Dist.,

55 Cal.2d 211 [11 Cal.Rptr. 89, 359 P.2d 457], was decided. It held that the doctrine of governmental immunity could no longer be used to shield an entity of government from liability for torts for which its agents were liable. In

Corning Hospital Dist.

v.

Superior Court, ante,

p. 488 [20 Cal.Rptr. 621, 370 P.2d 325], decided this day, we hold that the 1961 legislation (Stats. 1961, eh. 1404) relating to the subject of our decision in

Muskopf

v.

Corning Hospital Dist.

merely suspended for a limited time and did not destroy causes of action arising prior to February 27, 1961, the date our decision in

Muskopf

v.

Corning Hospital Dist.

became final. It follows that the judgment must be reversed unless it can be affirmed on some ground other than governmental immunity.

Defendants contend that the ruling of the trial court may be upheld on the ground that the wrongful death statute is not applicable to the state. Section 377 of the Code of Civil Procedure provides for the recovery of damages for wrongful death against “the person causing the death,” and defendants rely on cases holding that there is a rule of construction that a general term, such as “person,” should not be interpreted to apply to the state or its political subdivisions in the absence of an expression of legislative intent where the result of such a construction would be to infringe upon sovereign governmental powers. (See