Pauline Mason, Guardian of the Person and Estate of Gerald Wells, an Incompetent Person v. Ford Motor Company

JOHN R. GIBSON, Circuit Judge.

Missouri law tolls the statute of limitations in actions brought by mental incompetents for the duration of their disability. The district court 1 properly held that the tolling provision applies to lawsuits commenced by the guardians of incompetents. Thus, we affirm its denial of Ford’s motion to dismiss.

Gerald Wells, age 19, was driving his Ford Mustang on November 20,1974. It is alleged that a defect in a ball joint caused him to lose control, resulting in a one-car collision that rendered him mentally incompetent. On January 5, 1977, Wells was judged legally…