Caton v. Richardson

387 S.W.2d 683
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 22, 1965
Docket7438
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 387 S.W.2d 683 (Caton v. Richardson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Caton v. Richardson, 387 S.W.2d 683 (Tex. Ct. App. 1965).

Opinion

CHAPMAN, Justice.

This is an appeal from a summary judgment involving a medical malpractice case filed by Vera Catón, appellant, against O. J. Richardson, M. D., appellee, classified as a general practitioner.

*684 • The pleading’s, the depositions of Dr.. Richardson and Dr. Loyde H. Hudson, M. D:, and affidavits of Dr. Richardson and Mrs.- Vera Catón, together with the motion for summary judgment constitute the record in the case upon which the trial court rendered its judgment. The only point before us is that a fact issue was raised by the- pleadings, affidavits and depositions.

We start with the premise that has been settled by our Supreme Court, to the effect that in passing upon Rule 166-A, V.A.T.R.: “The burden of proving that there is no genuine issue of any material fact is upon the movant, and ‘All doubts as to the existence of a genuine issue as to a material fact must be resolved against the party moving for a summary judgment.’ ” Gulbenkian v. Penn, 151 Tex. 412, 252 S.W.2d 929.

The court hearing the motion must determine if there are any issues of fact to be tried, and is not to weigh the evidence or determine its credibility. His “ ‘task is analogous to that which he performs on a motion for directed verdict. He accepts as true all evidence of the party opposing the motion which tends to support such party’s contention, and gives him the benefit of every reasonable inference which properly can be drawn in favor of his position.’ ” Gulbenkian v. Penn, supra.

The suit being a medical malpractice case there are also settled rules of evidence in Texas necessary to follow in order for a patient to make the necessary proof to constitute a cause of action for malpractice against a physician.

In 1949 in the case of Bowles v. Bourdon, 148 Tex. 1, 219 S.W.2d 779, 13 A.L.R.2d 1, our Supreme Court said:

“It is definitely settled with us that a patient has no cause of action against his doctor for malpractice, either in diagnosis or recognized treatment, unless he' proves by a doctor of the same school of practice as the defendant:
(1) that the diagnosis or treatment complained of was such as to constitute negligence and (2) that it was a proximate cause of the patient’s injuries.”

Later opinions have tempered the cate- ■ gorical statement just quoted to the extent that the general rule of exclusion is subject to certain limitations such as:

“(1) Where the particular subject of inquiry is common to and equally recognized and developed in all fields of practice * * *
“(2) [Wjhere the subject of inquiry relates to the manner of use of electrical and mechanical appliances in common use in all fields of practice * Porter v. Puryear, 153 Tex. 82, 262 S.W.2d 933.

Our own court has said in effect that it would be unrealistic, for example, to hold that medical doctors with equally as much or more training than osteopaths would not be qualified to testify against them in the field of obstetrics and gynecology, even though trained in a different school of medicine. Welch v. Shaver, Tex.Civ.App., 351 S.W.2d 588, 589 (N.R.E.). However, where the question involves testimony de-uending on medical diagnoses or recognized medical treatment in the medical field the rules of Bowles v. Bourdon, supra, [with certain exceptions such as some of those we have mentioned] “correctly states the recognized general rule, the basis for which is said to be that ‘when a patient selects one of the several recognized schools of treatment, he thereby adopts and accepts the kind of treatment common to that school; and the care, skill, and diligence with which he is treated, when that becomes a question in the courts of this state, must be tested by the evidence of those who are trained and skilled in that particular school of treatment.’ ” Porter v. Puryear, supra (set aside on other grounds, Puryear v. Porter, 153 Tex. 82, 264 S.W.2d 689).

Appellant’s alleged cause of action for malpractice has as its basis, that following *685 surgery for removal of “certain veins” of Tier right leg, which the medical testimony shows was the saphenous vein, she developed postoperative thrombophlebitis. Her principal contention for negligence of Dr. Richardson’s diagnosis and surgical procedure that she claims proximately resulted in the edema of the right lower extremity is that his deposition shows that he gave her the Trendelenburg test to determine the patency of the deep circulation before removing the superficial vein above referred to, whereas her affidavit denies that he did so, which she contends raises a fact issue. The test mentioned involves the application of a tourniquet to the thigh to determine if the deep veins are filling, so as to leave adequate circulation in the leg after the saphenous vein is removed.

Dr. Richardson had performed his surgery for removal of the varicose vein on February 13, 1962. Because her mother was ill with pneumonia he agreed to her release four days after surgery, telling her to be up and about as much as possible and to wear elastic bandages. When she came back to see him on March 8, her leg was swollen and painful and she was admitted for thrombophlebitis. His deposition states “she had been staying with her sick moth•er, sitting around a lot, which is not the proper thing to do, and she always wore a heavy corset, which also interferes with the circulation, and at that time I just assumed that the blood which was left from the vein stripping had extended itself into some part of her leg causing her disturbance.”

“Q. In a clot?
A. Yes, sir. Due to lack of circulation and lack of walking, lack of proper exercise and proper care.”

The record also shows she had been to a ■doctor in Amarillo before the operation and lie had recommended the removal of the varicose vein in her right leg.

The following statements in the deposition of Dr. Richardson himself constitute the principal contention relied on by appellant for raising a fact issue:

“I ran the usual test to determine the patency of the deep circulation. Apparently the deep circulation was adequate, so I consented to the operation.
“QUESTION: ‘That was on the 9th of February, 1962?’
“ANSWER: ‘Yes, Sir.’
“QUESTION: ‘Exactly what is this test to determine the patency of the deep circulation ?’
“ANSWER: ‘It’s commonly called the Trendelenburg test.’
“QUESTION: ‘Would you describe it, please, sir?’
“ANSWER: ‘Put a tourniquet around the thigh with the vein empty and see if it fills from below, which it did very slowly.’

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404 S.W.2d 342 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1966)

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Bluebook (online)
387 S.W.2d 683, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/caton-v-richardson-texapp-1965.