Gunter v. Laboratory Corp. of America

**What Happened** A worker sued Laboratory Corporation of America for negligence and breach of contract. The key legal issue wasn't about the merits of the case itself, but rather how much time the worker had to file the lawsuit. The laboratory argued that since they performed medical testing, the lawsuit should be treated like a medical malpractice case, which in Tennessee must be filed within one year. The worker argued it should be treated as a regular negligence case, which allows three years to file. **What the Court Decided** The Tennessee Supreme Court sided with the worker. The court ruled that even though the laboratory performs medical testing, the worker's negligence claim should follow the longer three-year time limit for regular negligence cases, not the shorter one-year deadline for medical malpractice. The court sent the case back to the lower court to continue with the actual lawsuit. **Why This Matters for Workers** This decision gives workers more time to file negligence lawsuits against laboratory companies and similar employers. Having three years instead of one year provides workers with more opportunity to discover workplace injuries, gather evidence, and find legal representation before their right to sue expires.