South Dakota Ranch Hand Can’t File Claim Against Estate

A South Dakota ranch hand who says he suffered emotional distress when he saw his former boss accidentally shoot himself has lost his bid to file a claim against the ranch owner’s estate.

According to court documents, Harding County rancher Blair Hamilton accidentally killed himself in October 2009. Lyndon Hart, who worked on the ranch, says he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder from witnessing the accident.

Hart sought to file a claim against Hamilton’s estate, but a lawyer for the estate said Hart had waited too long to make a claim.

The South Dakota Supreme Court has upheld a lower court ruling that rejected Hart’s request to extend the time to file a claim against the estate.