Brancati v. Bi-State Dev. Agency

571 S.W.3d 625
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 18, 2018
DocketNo. ED 106359
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 571 S.W.3d 625 (Brancati v. Bi-State Dev. Agency) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brancati v. Bi-State Dev. Agency, 571 S.W.3d 625 (Mo. Ct. App. 2018).

Opinion

ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT(s): Bharat Varadachari, Katherine Elizabeth Jacobi, Co-Counsel, 211 North Broadway, Suite 2700, St. Louis, MO 63102, HEPLERBROOM, LLC.

ATTORNEY FOR RESPONDENT; Joan Marie Lockwood, Stephen Randall Woodley, Co-Counsel, 701 Market Street, Suite 800, GRAY, RITTER & GRAHAM, P.C., Christopher Arthur Brackman, Amicus Curiae ( Missouri Association of Defense Lawyers), 4215 S. Hocker, Ste 300, Independence, MO 64055, Theresa Ann Appelbaum, Amicus Curiae (Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys), 1924 Choteau Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63103, The Law Offices of Theresa A. Appelbaum.

Honorable Mary K. Hoff

Bi-State Development Agency d/b/a Metro ("Bi-State") and Cedric K. Allen ("Allen") (collectively "Appellants") appeal from the Amended Judgment ("Judgment") entered following a jury verdict in favor of Dawn Brancati ("Brancati") on her personal-injury lawsuit against Appellants. We affirm.

Factual and Procedural Background

On January 20, 2016, Brancati filed a personal injury claim for damages against Bi-State and its employee driver, Allen. The accident that resulted in Brancati's injuries occurred on February 2, 2015,1 when Allen was driving a Metro Call-A-Ride Shuttle that collided with Brancati, who was riding a bicycle. The collision occurred at an intersection where a marked crosswalk controlled by a stop sign had yielded the right of way to Brancati. Bi-State admitted that Allen was its employee and that he was acting in the scope and course of his employment at the time of the collision. Following a jury trial, *630a verdict was returned in favor of Brancati and against Bi-State and Allen, jointly and severally, allocating 100% fault to Appellants and awarding damages of $625,000.

Viewed in the light most favorable to the verdict, the following evidence was adduced at trial: At approximately 5:40 pm on February 2, 2015, Brancati was riding her bicycle wearing a helmet and with headlights illuminated on a bicycle path/sidewalk along Forsyth Boulevard heading east. Prior to the collision, Brancati was at an intersection at Forsyth and Tolman Way, and her bicycle and Appellants' vehicle were stopped. Brancati testified that she stopped first, then the bus stopped. Brancati testified that when she stopped, she had complete full vision of the bus and stopped around the Tolman Way sign for a few seconds before proceeding into the intersection. Brancati testified she had the right of way. Brancati proceeded into the crosswalk when the impact occurred. All parties stipulated Brancati had the right of way. Allen, the driver, testified that he never saw Brancati prior to impact and did not see Brancati or her bike until he hit her in the crosswalk. Allen testified that he did not realize he hit Brancati until he heard the screams of the bus passengers.

At trial, on September 18, 2017, there was extensive evidence presented regarding Brancati's physical injuries. The evidence showed that as a result of the collision, Brancati broke both legs, fracturing her right fibula, displacing her left tibia and fracturing her left fibular shaft. To stabilize the left leg fracture enough so that she could bear weight on the leg, Brancati had to undergo surgery and have a metal rod with interlocking screws permanently inserted that extended from just below the knee to slightly above the ankle joint. Even after surgery, Brancati's severe fractures caused pain and an altered gait. There was evidence Brancati might require future surgery to remove the hardware, in order to lessen pain and nerve impairment.

Both of Brancati's treating physicians testified that her injuries were serious and permanent. Dr. Christopher McAndrew ("Dr. McAndrew"), an orthopedic surgeon, testified the injury and type of fractures she sustained typically causes nerve pain, muscle pain and swelling and that Brancati can expect to have pain, on and off, for the rest of her life. Dr. McAndrew testified that the leg trauma and physical injuries Brancati sustained were "significant" resulting in "permanent impairment."

Similarly, Dr. Nadya Swedan ("Dr. Swedan"), a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, testified that Brancati suffered trauma to both legs, causing swelling, nerve and muscle pain. Dr. Swedan further testified that Brancati's gait is compromised, which can result in arthritis and problems with the hip, knee, and hamstring. Dr. Swedan testified that Brancati's physical impairments and deficits are permanent and that to maintain the status quo, she has to continually undergo rehabilitation.

Brancati testified that in order to accommodate for her injuries, she had to make lifestyle adjustments. Brancati testified that prior to the 2015 incident she was an avid runner and that returning to running post-accident, was very important to her. She testified that she did not want the collision to define her or limit what she enjoyed but that because of her physical injuries, she runs shorter distances and at a slower pace, has more pain during runs, and no longer participates in formal races.2 She testified that she now suffers from leg *631fatigue and permanent scarring and cannot carry heavy items, including groceries, for long distances without experiencing pain. She ices and elevates her legs regularly and takes medication to reduce swelling and nerve and muscle pain.

Brancati testified that prior to the 2015 collision, she had a history that included anxiety, depression, and other stress-related issues and that she had treated with two counselors and a psychiatrist, all of whom were disclosed during discovery. However, Brancati testified that the collision caused her "new" anxiety and nightmares. She testified that she saw a counselor, who had also treated her in the past, in order to develop coping mechanisms, and that, as a result, in the two years since the accident she had "improved tremendously" because of these coping mechanisms. Appellants did not object during this testimony, and nowhere during Brancati's testimony or during her case-in-chief by any medical expert was there any mention that the bus crash caused Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "PTSD" or any other specific mental health condition.

Only Merry Weitzman ("Ms. Weitzman"), a licensed clinical social worker, testified by deposition regarding Brancati's diagnosis of PTSD (i.e. that the bus crash exacerbated or aggravated Brancati's PTSD) and the pre-2015 counseling she had provided to Brancati. Brancati did not introduce Ms. Weitzman's deposition testimony; instead, Appellants introduced it themselves at trial despite having earlier filed a pre-trial motion3 to exclude it.

Regarding her counseling and psychiatric treatment, Brancati disclosed in discovery Dr. Marcie Garland, a psychiatrist, who she saw prior to the bus collision and participated in one telephone conference with Brancati afterward. She also disclosed Marcia McCabe, PhD, who saw Brancati prior to the collision. Also disclosed was Ms. Weitzman, who treated Brancati in 2013 and for 5 sessions following the collision.

Brancati's treatment with Dr. Sonya Vieira ("Dr. Vieira"), a New York psychiatrist, was not disclosed during discovery because Brancati's counsel did not become aware of treatment Brancati had received until the evening of Tuesday, September 12, 2017. The following day, Brancati's counsel informed Appellants of the psychiatrist's identity, and provided the four dates Brancati saw or spoke with Dr.

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571 S.W.3d 625, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brancati-v-bi-state-dev-agency-moctapp-2018.