Darryl Jones, as surviving next of kin of Goldie Jones, Deceased, v. Dana A. Watson,and Sheree Watson

Darryl Jones (hereafter “Plaintiff”) filed suit in the Circuit Court of Shelby County against Dana A. Watson and Sheree Watson (hereafter “Defendants”) to recover damages for the wrongful death of his wife, Goldie Jones, as a result of a motor vehicle accident. Defendants were insured by Allstate Insurance Company ( hereafter “Allstate”). Allstate ultimately entered into a settlement agreement with plaintiff and pursuant thereto issued not one but two consecutive settlement checks to plaintiff. Because the son of the deceased wife incorrectly filed a wrongful death action on his own behalf, plaintiff was prevented from consummating the settlem ent agreement with
Allstate. Some three years after plaintiff’s suit had been filed, defendants filed a motion to dismiss on the grounds that plaintiff had failed to comply with Rules 3 and 4 T.R.C.P. in that defendants had not been served with process, nor had an alias summons been issued, nor had the action been  recommenced within one year of the date of the issuance of the original process, thus plaintiff’s claim was barred by the one year statute of limitations. The trial court granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss. The sole issue presented by plaintiff on appeal is whether the trial court erred in so doing. We find that it did and reverse.