Cornett v. State ex rel. W.O. Moss Regional Hospital

614 So. 2d 189, 1993 La. App. LEXIS 366
Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided February 3, 1993·No. No. 92-148·Published·Cited by 9 cases

Opinion

DECUIR, Judge.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

This case involves a medical malpractice suit filed by Angelique Cornett, individually and as natural tutrix of the minors, William Shannon Cornett, and Jenevieve Suzanne Cornett adverse to the State of Louisiana through W.O. Moss Regional Hospital for the wrongful death of William Brooks Cornett. Plaintiffs bring this wrongful death and survival action pursuant to LSA-R.S. 40:1299.39 et seq. and allege the unconstitutionality of any purported limitation on recovery of damages. Prior to trial, William Shannon Cornett reached the age of majority and an order was rendered substituting William Shannon Cornett as a party plaintiff.

After a trial, reasons for judgment were issued and judgment rendered in favor of [192] plaintiffs, Angelique Cornett and William Shannon Cornett and on behalf of the minor, Jenevieve Suzanne Cornett, and against the defendant, State of Louisiana through W.O. Moss Regional Hospital in the sum of $500,00.00 plus costs of court including expert witness fees. The trial judge further ordered interest in accord with LSA-R.S. 40:1299.39.1(K) and LSA-R.S. 13:5112(C), at the rate of six (6%) percent per annum from date of filing (January 11, 1988) until date of judgment and thereafter the rate provided by La.C.C.P. Art. 2924.

The trial court in his reasons for judgment evaluated damages as follows:

ECONOMIC DAMAGES:
Loss of earnings to plaintiff’s $300,000.00
Funeral and Burial Expenses 4,177.90
Survival Action 100,000.00
WRONGFUL DEATH CLAIMS:
Angelique Cornett — for loss of love, affection and consortium 250,000.00
William Shannon Cornett- 100,000.00
Jenevieve Suzanne Cornett- 100,000.00
TOTAL SUMS OF AWARDS: $854,177.90

Although the sum of the awards exceeds the $500,000.00 limitation of recovery, the trial judge recognized the applicability of LSA-RS 40:1299.39 stating that the judgment would be enforceable only as to $500,-000.00, and declined to declare LSA-R.S. 40:1299.39 et seq. unconstitutional.

Thereafter, plaintiffs filed a Motion for Limited New Trial asserting for the first time the inapplicability of LSA-R.S. 40:1299.39 et seq. Plaintiff further reasserted the unconstitutionality of any statutory limitation on recovery and additionally insufficiency of damages awarded. A judgment denying plaintiffs motion for new trial was rendered and signed on October 13, 1991.

The State of Louisiana through W.O. Moss Regional Hospital filed a suspensive appeal asserting that the trial court erred: (1) in finding that the defendant breached the relevant standard of care and in finding that the treating physicians at W.O. Moss Regional Hospital failed to use reasonable care and diligence and best judgment in the application of their skills; (2) in awarding $300,000.00 as loss of earnings; and (3) in awarding $100,000.00 for the survival action of William Cornett.

Plaintiffs answered the. appeal urging that the trial court erred in applying LSA-R.S. 40:1299.39 et seq. retroactively since the factual set of circumstances in this case occurred in 1986 and 1987, prior to the 1988 amendment of LSA-R.S. 40:1299.39 et seq. Plaintiffs argue in the alternative that if any statutory limitation on recovery does apply, then only LSA-R.S. 13:1506 applies to the facts of this case. Alternatively, plaintiffs allege that any statute attempting to limit damages is unconstitutional. Finally, plaintiffs assert that the awards for the survival action of William Brooks Cornett and for general damages to the children of the decedent are inadequate and should be increased. Plaintiffs further allege a frivolous appeal by defendant and seek remedy pursuant to La.C.C.P. art. 863.

Plaintiffs have filed two motions on appeal to supplement the record to include in the record on appeal service information on the Attorney General and another to include plaintiffs’ memorandum in support of the motion for new trial.

We deny plaintiffs’ motions to supplement the record and affirm the trial court’s judgment.

FACTS

The decedent apparently began suffering from symptoms of acromegaly in 1982. Acromegaly is a disease generally caused by a pituitary tumor resulting in over secretion of human growth hormone. The tumor is non-malignant in 95 out of 100 cases. This disease manifests itself by unusual enlargement of facial features, hands, feet and soft tissues of the body. By 1983 the symptoms so distorted the decedent’s appearance that he was terminated from his employment as a Quality Assurance Contract Consultant. Subsequent to losing his position as a consultant, the decedent was self-employed as a “handyman.”

[193] The decedent was seen by Dr. Arthur Primeaux in Lake Charles, Louisiana, in November and December of 1983 for complaints of low grade fever, cough and congestion. According to Dr. Primeaux, the decedent had definite signs of acromegaly in December of 1983. Dr. Primeaux referred Mr. Cornett to Moss Regional because decedent continued to display hypertension, which Dr. Primeaux surmised may have been due to the acromegaly. Dr. Primeaux discussed his impression of acromegaly with the decedent and made a telephone call to Moss Regional Hospital for the referral and to schedule an appointment for decedent to be seen for acromegaly. The medical records, however, do not reflect an appointment scheduled at Moss Regional.

The decedent was seen at Moss Regional on February 15, 1985, at which time he complained of an earache and again on October 14, 1985, for a laceration to the left forearm. Acromegaly is noted in the hospital chart on both February 15 and October 14, 1985.

The decedent was seen by Dr. Francine A. Manuel, then a family practice resident at Moss Regional, on February 28, 1986, for complaints of sore throat. Dr. Manuel noted the decedent’s blood pressure to be elevated and felt the blood pressure condition warranted treatment. Dr. Manuel referred Mr. Cornett to the hospital Day Clinic for follow-up.

Dr. Manuel’s next visit with the decedent was on March 8, 1986, at which time the decedent complained of pain in the chest, back, upper arms, and also complained of sleep apnea for the past five (5) years. Sleep apnea is a condition in which mechanical obstruction to breathing occurs and breathing stops. According to the medical testimony adduced at trial, acromegaly is one possible cause of sleep apnea. Dr. Manuel referred the decedent to the Endocrinology Clinic at Moss Regional “A.S.A.P.” for acromegaly. It is undisputed that an appointment was not scheduled by hospital personnel as ordered by Dr. Manuel.

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Cornett v. State ex rel. W.O. Moss Regional Hospital, 614 So. 2d 189, 1993 La. App. LEXIS 366 (La. Ct. App. 1993).

614 So. 2d 189 (Cornett v. State ex rel. W.O. Moss Regional Hospital) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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