Campbell v. Eckman/Freeman & Associates

670 N.E.2d 925, 1996 Ind. App. LEXIS 1257, 1996 WL 529357
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 19, 1996
Docket71A04-9602-CV-67
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 670 N.E.2d 925 (Campbell v. Eckman/Freeman & Associates) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Campbell v. Eckman/Freeman & Associates, 670 N.E.2d 925, 1996 Ind. App. LEXIS 1257, 1996 WL 529357 (Ind. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinions

OPINION

RILEY, Judge.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

Plaintiff-Appellant Patrick J. Campbell appeals from the grant of summary judgment in favor of Defendant-Appellee Eekman-Freeman & Associates in his suit for negligence.

We affirm.

ISSUE

Campbell raises one issue: Whether the trial court erred in finding that Eekman-Freeman owed no duty to Campbell as a matter of law.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

This case arises from medical care and treatment provided to Campbell following a work-related injury. Campbell suffered an injury to his arm while at work and medical treatment was provided pursuant to the Indiana Worker’s Compensation Act. Ind. Code 22-3-2 et. seq. Eekman-Freeman is a company that provides a case monitoring service to insurance companies, employers and clients involved in worker’s compensation claims and other claims for physical injuries brought against them. Essentially, Eck-man-Freeman provides services to assist and monitor the care given to injured employees while the employee is receiving medical care and rehabilitation. In this case, an Eekman-Freeman Rehabilitation Specialist, Sherrie [928]*928Brewington, was assigned to monitor Campbell’s worker’s compensation claim against Manpower with the goal of returning him safely to work. Brewington attended doctor’s appointments with Campbell, monitored his physical therapy, and monitored his compliance with treatment plans.

Campbell initiated this lawsuit by filing a medical negligence form complaint against J. Michael Kelbel, M.D. and Eckman-Freeman & Associates. Campbell was not represented by counsel at the time. Upon motion by Dr. Kelbel, the trial court dismissed him from the case for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction, due to Campbell’s failure to first submit the case to the medical review panel as required by the Indiana Medical Malpractice Act. See Ind.Code 27-12-8-4 (1993). Subsequently, the matter was submitted to the medical review panel, which found the evidence did not support the conclusion that Dr. Kelbel failed to meet the applicable standard of care as charged in the complaint.

Thereafter Eckman-Freeman filed a motion captioned Motion For Summary Judgment Or In The Alternative, Motion To Dismiss For Lack Of Subject Matter Jurisdiction. Specifically, Eckman-Freeman argued that there were no genuine issues for trial, or in the alternative, that the exclusivity provision of the Indiana Worker’s Compensation Act mandated dismissal for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction. Campbell filed his response and Eckman-Freeman filed its reply by the end of 1994, and a hearing was held in January of 1995. In November 1995, the trial court granted Eckman-Free-man’s motion for summary judgment finding that “there [was] no genuine issue of material fact as to whether Eekman/Freeman owed to Plaintiff Campbell a duty of care ...” (R. 182). The trial court did not address Eckman-Freeman’s 12(B)(1) motion to dismiss for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction. Campbell appeals.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

Summary judgment is appropriate only when there is no genuine issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Ind.Trial Rule 56(C); L.K.I. Holdings, Inc. v. Tyner, 658 N.E.2d 111, 118 (Ind.Ct.App.1995), reh’g denied, trans. denied. When reviewing summary judgment rulings, we may consider only those portions of the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, admissions, matters of judicial notice, and any other matters designated to the trial court by the moving party for purposes of the motion for summary judgment. T.R. 56(C), (H); Rosi v. Business Furniture Corp., 615 N.E.2d 431, 434 (Ind.1993). The party moving for summary judgment bears the burden of making a prima facie showing that there are no genuine issues of material fact and that the mov-ant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Hermann v. Yater, 631 N.E.2d 511, 513 (Ind.Ct.App.1994), reh’g denied. Once the movant satisfies this burden, the burden shifts to the nonmoving party to produce specifically designated facts showing the existence of a genuine issue. Id.

When reviewing the trial court’s decision on a motion for summary judgment, we apply the same standard as the trial court. Gilliam v. Contractors United, Inc., 648 N.E.2d 1236, 1238 (Ind.Ct.App.1995), trans. denied. We liberally construe all designated evidentiary material in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party to determine whether there is a genuine issue of material fact for trial. Haas Carriage, Inc. v. Berna, 651 N.E.2d 284, 287 (Ind.Ct.App.1995). Any doubt as to the existence of a factual issue should be resolved against the moving party. T.R. 56(C); Cowe v. Forum Group, Inc., 575 N.E.2d 630, 633 (Ind.1991). Summary judgment is rarely appropriate in negligence actions. Kelly v. Ladywood Apartments, 622 N.E.2d 1044, 1046 (Ind.Ct.App.1993), reh’g denied, trans. denied.

DISCUSSION AND DECISION

Due to the manner in which Campbell filed this action, there are threshold procedural issues that we feel compelled to address. Campbell’s “Proposed Complaint” against Dr. Kelbel and Eckman-Freeman is a form complaint used by the Indiana Department of Insurance for claims brought under the Indiana Medical Malpractice Act. It is alleged in the complaint that Dr. Kelbel as well as Eckman-Freeman are health care provid[929]*929ers as defined in the Act, and that due to their negligence, Campbell suffered nerve and muscle damage to his right shoulder and arm which caused him pain and suffering, loss of wages and mental anguish.

As noted above, Dr. Kelbel was initially dismissed from the action due to Campbell’s failure to submit the case to a medical review panel. Eckman-Freeman did not elect to move for dismissal under this premise because they are not health care providers as defined under the Medical Malpractice Act. Rather, Eckman-Freeman moved for summary judgment, or in the alternative for dismissal for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction under T.R. 12(B)(1). The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of Eck-man-Freeman, and did not rule on the T.R. 12(B)(1) part of the motion.

I. Subject-Matter Jurisdiction

A. Medical Review Panel As Procedural Requisite to Subject-Matter Jurisdiction

The first threshold issue is whether the trial court lacked subject-matter jurisdiction due to Campbell's failure to submit the cause to the Department of Insurance and obtain an opinion from a medical review panel before filing his complaint with the trial court. It is fairly clear that although Campbell, acting pro se at the time of filing the complaint, filed a complaint alleging medical negligence, his claim is one for ordinary negligence.

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Campbell v. Eckman/Freeman & Associates
670 N.E.2d 925 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1996)

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Bluebook (online)
670 N.E.2d 925, 1996 Ind. App. LEXIS 1257, 1996 WL 529357, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/campbell-v-eckmanfreeman-associates-indctapp-1996.