Dearman v. Christian

967 So. 2d 636, 2007 Miss. LEXIS 484, 2007 WL 2390217
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 23, 2007
Docket2006-CA-01759-SCT
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 967 So. 2d 636 (Dearman v. Christian) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dearman v. Christian, 967 So. 2d 636, 2007 Miss. LEXIS 484, 2007 WL 2390217 (Mich. 2007).

Opinion

967 So.2d 636 (2007)

Kathy A. DEARMAN
v.
Ron CHRISTIAN, M.D.

No. 2006-CA-01759-SCT.

Supreme Court of Mississippi.

August 23, 2007.

*637 Robert Lewis Spell, G. Todd Burwell, William Larry Latham, Ridgeland, attorneys for appellant.

John Lewis Hinkle, IV, Chris J. Walker, Ridgeland, attorneys for appellee.

Before WALLER, P.J., EASLEY and GRAVES, JJ.

EASLEY, Justice, for the Court.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

¶ 1. This case involves a partial summary judgment in favor of Dr. Ron Christian (Dr. Christian) on the issues of vicarious liability and negligent supervision.[1] On February 15, 2001, Kathy Dearman (Dearman) filed suit pursuant to the Mississippi Tort Claims Act (MCTA) against Montfort Jones Memorial Hospital (the Hospital) and Dr. Christian in the Circuit Court of Attala County, Mississippi. In her complaint, Dearman asserted claims for medical malpractice and negligence against Dr. Christian and vicarious liability and negligence against the Hospital. Dr. Christian was the Hospital's radiologist who was employed on a contractual basis.

¶ 2. On May 31, 2000, Dearman went to the Hospital to have testing conducted for back and flank pain. The testing required imaging services in the form of administration of a contrast solution into her left arm. The radiology technician, Herbert Hill, injected the contrast dye into Dearman's arm. Thereafter, Dearman's arm began to swell due to extravasating (the flow of fluid into tissue). As a result of these actions, Dearman had to undergo surgery to open her arm and drain the contrast dye, as well as surgery to graft skin onto her arm at the incision site.

¶ 3. On August 3, 2005, Dr. Christian filed a motion for partial summary judgment on the issues of vicarious liability and negligent supervision. On August 21, 2006, the trial court rendered an oral decision granting partial summary judgment to Dr. Christian. Following this ruling, the trial court also entered an order and opinion for partial summary judgment as to the separate defendant, Dr. Christian, on September 14, 2006. The trial court found that (1) Dr. Christian was not vicariously liable under the theory of respondeat superior, and (2) Dr. Christian was not liable for the claim of negligent supervision, since there was no evidence that he was present at the time of Dearman's procedure, and there was no evidence that he exercised control or supervision over the Hospital's staff. The trial court also entered a final judgment of dismissal with prejudice, dismissing the vicarious liability and negligent supervision claims against Dr. Christian only.

¶ 4. On October 4, 2006, Dearman timely filed an appeal to this Court.

*638 FACTS

¶ 5. Dearman was referred by her physician, Dr. Thaggard, to the Hospital to have a CT scan procedure. She arrived at the Hospital's emergency room on May 31, 2000, at approximately 8:00 a.m. On the day of the procedure, the emergency room nurse inserted a needle into Dearman's arm with a Hep-Lock, a type of catheter, attached to it. Dearman was given some Benadryl by the emergency room nurse prior to her arrival at the radiology department. She then went to the radiology department at approximately 8:30 a.m. Herbert Hill (Hill) was the x-ray technician who performed the procedure on Dearman. Hill never inserted a needle into Dearman's arm.

¶ 6. Hill stated that he checked the Hep-Lock in Dearman's arm by flushing it with saline solution. Hill then gave Dearman some of the contrast solution through the catheter and asked her if she experienced any pain. Hill stated that Dearman told him that she was doing okay. Then Hill injected more of the contrast solution. Hill again asked Dearman again if she felt any pain or pressure. Hill stated that Dearman told him that everything was okay.

¶ 7. Christopher Threadgill, the director of radiology at the Hospital, stated that he supervised Hill, and that Hill was his employee. Threadgill was present when Hill began the procedure and administered the first syringe of the contrast fluid and asked Dearman if she felt any pain, swelling, or burning with the injection. Then, Threadgill pushed the start button for the scanner and saw Hill insert the second syringe. Threadgill again heard Hill ask Dearman if she felt any pain, swelling, or burning with the injection. Threadgill stated that Dearman reasserted that she was not in any pain. Thereafter, Threadgill left the room. Hill later told Threadgill that he had flushed the IV with saline solution.

¶ 8. However, Dearman's deposition testimony contradicted Hill when she stated that her arm began to hurt almost immediately after she had to raise her arms for the procedure. She said her arm felt like it was being crushed. Dearman said she told the lab technician that her arm hurt and something was wrong. She said her arm became "puffy" and began to swell.

¶ 9. Thereafter, Dr. Christian arrived in the x-ray room and examined Dearman's arm. Dr. Christian administered some warm soaks and periodically checked Dearman's arm. When Dearman's arm did not improve, Dr. Christian went with Dearman to Dr. Thaggard's office.

¶ 10. Dearman stated that she left the hospital around 12:00 p.m. and walked to Dr. Thaggard's office with Dr. Christian. Dr. Thaggard stated that he was going to call a surgeon. Dr. Thaggard then told Dearman to call her husband, go home, pack her bags, and meet him at 3:00 p.m. Dearman stated that her arm began to get pink and later turned a pale blue and then became more and more blue. She said the arm had been blue for a long time before she arrived at Dr. Thaggard's office with Dr. Christian. Dearman underwent surgery to drain the contrast from her arm.

¶ 11. Following the trial court's grant of partial summary judgment, Dearman appealed to this Court.

DISCUSSION

¶ 12. This Court set forth the standard of review for summary judgment, as follows:

"We employ the de novo standard in reviewing a trial court's grant of summary judgment." Brown v. J.J. Ferguson Sand & Gravel Co., 858 So.2d 129, 130 (Miss.2003) (citing O'Neal Steel, Inc. *639 v. Millette, 797 So.2d 869, 872 (Miss. 2001)). The moving party shall be granted judgment "if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories and admissions on file, together with affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Miss. R. Civ. P. 56(c).
"Summary judgments, in whole or in part, should be granted with great caution." Brown, 444 So.2d at 363. However, "[s]ummary judgment is mandated where the respondent has failed `to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party's case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial.'" Wilbourn v. Stennett, Wilkinson & Ward, 687 So.2d 1205, 1214 (Miss. 1996) (citing Galloway v. Travelers Ins. Co., 515 So.2d 678, 683 (Miss.1987) (quoting Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986))).

Smith v. Gilmore Mem. Hosp., Inc., 952 So.2d 177 (Miss.2007).

¶ 13. Dearman argues that the trial court erred by granting partial summary judgment to Dr. Christian on the issues of vicarious liability and negligent supervision, as there were genuine issues of material fact. It is important to note that any allegations of medical negligence by Dr.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
967 So. 2d 636, 2007 Miss. LEXIS 484, 2007 WL 2390217, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dearman-v-christian-miss-2007.