Anthony v. State ex rel. Department of Health & Human Resources

631 So. 2d 506, 1994 La. App. LEXIS 11, 1994 WL 7765
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 13, 1994
DocketNo. 93-CA-1071
StatusPublished

This text of 631 So. 2d 506 (Anthony v. State ex rel. Department of Health & Human Resources) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Anthony v. State ex rel. Department of Health & Human Resources, 631 So. 2d 506, 1994 La. App. LEXIS 11, 1994 WL 7765 (La. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinions

JAMES C. GULOTTA, Judge Pro Tem.

Murphy Anthony, Sr., individually and as tutor of his minor child, Murphy Anthony, Jr., instituted the present medical malpractice action against the State of Louisiana through the Department of Health and Human Resources, specifically Charity Hospital of Louisiana at New Orleans, and the attend[508]*508ing physicians who treated the child while hospitalized at Charity Hospital.

On January 16, 1980, Murphy Anthony, Jr., then three months of age, was admitted to Charity with a history of vomiting for a “couple” of days. The child was examined in the emergency room by a pediatric resident who determined that the child was suffering from a bowel obstruction. Whereupon, the pediatric surgery staff determined that an emergency surgical intervention was necessary to remove the obstruction. This surgery was performed at approximately 11:30 p.m. on the night of January 16, 1980. The senior pediatric surgery resident, Dr. Kelvin Contreary, performed the surgery and was assisted by Dr. Cedric Priebe, the supervising pediatric surgeon.

Following this initial surgery, at approximately 10:00 a.m. on January 17, the following day, the child commenced to exhibit complications. The child experienced periods where he would stop breathing. Observation and examination by Dr. Marcus Pittman, the pediatric surgery resident on duty, indicated that a heart murmur may have been the cause of the breathing problem. Oxygen was administered. However, because the child became lethargic the necessity of a blood gas study was indicated. The study revealed that the child was suffering from an excess of carbon dioxide in the blood. Whereupon the pediatric resident on duty, Dr. Ruthanne Gallagher, was called in and administered sodium bicarbonate to neutralize this excess. The child was also started on antibiotics.

The medical history indicated that the child had become dehydrated. Examination revealed that the child was not suffering from dehydration but rather was retaining fluids improperly. A diuretic was given to offset the retained excess fluids.

On the following day, January 18,1980, the pediatric surgeons noted seepage from the incision from the first surgery. A second surgery revealed that part of the child’s intestine and bowel had become gangrenous. According to the medical evidence, the spread of the gangrenous condition unfortunately invaded the lower right limb resulting in the amputation of the right lower leg.

IN LIMINE MOTIONS

Prior to trial, all defendants except the State of Louisiana, Dr. Cedric Priebe and Dr. Marcus Pittman were dismissed from the suit. In addition, plaintiff filed a motion in limine to exclude the deposition testimony of Dr. Priebe offered by the defendant. This motion was denied by the trial judge. At the commencement of the trial, the defendants noted their objection to the liability of the state being tried to a jury in violation of L.S.A.-R.S. 13:5105. The trial court informed counsel that it would not hear arguments on this issue as the matter should have been brought up by written motion prior to trial.

Following a protracted trial, the jury found no negligence on the part of the defendants. Whereupon the trial judge made the jury’s verdict the judgment of the court and dismissed plaintiffs claims. Thereafter, the trial judge, in response to the plaintiffs motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict or alternatively a new trial, granted the new trial. The basis of the new trial grant was that the trial judge felt she erroneously allowed the introduction of the deposition of defendant Dr. Priebe in lieu of his testimony. Upon writ application to this Court, we reversed the trial court judgment granting a new trial, stating that

“[t]he trial court abused its discretion in granting a new trial based upon introduction of deposition testimony previously sanctioned and permitted by the trial judge in accordance with La.C.C.P. art. 1450. The correctness of the evidentiary rule can be raised on appeal.”

Plaintiff, appealing claims (1) it was error for the trial judge to permit the liability of the state to be tried to a jury; (2) it was error for the trial judge to permit the introduction of the deposition of Dr. Cedric Priebe into evidence on his own behalf; and (3) it was jury error in rendering a verdict contrary to the law and evidence.

L.S.A.-R.S. 13:5105 provides that “[n]o suit against the state or a state agency or political subdivision shall be tried by jury.” In Descant v. Rapides Parish Police Jury, 409 So.2d 1226 (La.1982), the Supreme [509]*509Court found that the language of the statute clearly precludes a trial by jury against the state, any state agency, or any political subdivision of the state. While acknowledging that the statute clearly prohibits a jury trial, this Court in Turner v. Regional Transit Authority, 498 So.2d 777 (La.App. 4th Cir.1986) declined to reverse a jury verdict against the political subdivision even though the trial court admittedly erred in denying the defendant’s motion to strike the jury order. The rationale for our holding was that the defendant state agency’s failure to appeal or seek supervisory writs of review from the trial court’s judgment constituted a waiver of its right to complain of the ruling. See also Row v. New Orleans Public Belt R.R., 539 So.2d 907 (La.App. 4th Cir.1989).

In Turner and also in Row we concluded that the party against whom the trial judge ruled on the jury or judge trial question was guilty of a waiver- of their rights. However, unlike Turner and Row, in the instant case, plaintiff sought the jury trial. The trial judge ruled in plaintiffs favor on the jury trial question. With a favorable ruling by the trial judge, plaintiff had no interest or desire nor was it incumbent upon the plaintiff to complain to a reviewing court of the favorable ruling. Therefore, the rationale on waiver of rights in Turner and Row is not applicable to our plaintiff. On the morning of the trial, when defense counsel objected to having the jury determine the state’s liability, understandable, plaintiff did not join in defendants’ objection. The plaintiff had no obligation to object. Accordingly, we find no waiver by plaintiff of his right to have this court consider the jury/trial judge question.

As hereinbefore pointed out, the Louisiana Supreme Court in Descant has stated that the statute clearly precludes a trial by jury against the state, any state agency or any political subdivision of the state. Following Descant, we conclude the trial judge erred when she allowed the jury to determine Charity Hospital’s liability. Accordingly, we conclude further that the error in the instant case is reversible. Accordingly, we are compelled to reverse and set aside the jury verdict in so far as it determined the question of Charity Hospital’s Lability and remand the matter to the trial judge to conduct a bench trial on that institution’s liability-

DEPOSITION

Plaintiff’s next assignment of error is that the trial judge erred in allowing defense counsel to introduce Dr. Cedric Priebe’s deposition into evidence. At the time of the trial, Dr. Priebe had been residing and practicing medicine in Stonybrook, New York for 8 years. Plaintiffs counsel had notice of and actively participated in the deposition. During the taking of the deposition Dr.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Smith v. State Through Dept. HHR
523 So. 2d 815 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1988)
Descant v. Rapides Parish Police Jury
409 So. 2d 1226 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1982)
Turner v. Regional Transit Authority
498 So. 2d 777 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1986)
Martin v. East Jefferson General Hosp.
582 So. 2d 1272 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1991)
Housley v. Cerise
579 So. 2d 973 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1991)
Row v. New Orleans Public Belt Railroad
539 So. 2d 907 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1989)
Joseph v. Gibliant
590 So. 2d 841 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1991)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
631 So. 2d 506, 1994 La. App. LEXIS 11, 1994 WL 7765, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/anthony-v-state-ex-rel-department-of-health-human-resources-lactapp-1994.