Demers v. Levine

12 Mass. L. Rptr. 637
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedJanuary 31, 2001
DocketNo. 981243
StatusPublished

This text of 12 Mass. L. Rptr. 637 (Demers v. Levine) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Demers v. Levine, 12 Mass. L. Rptr. 637 (Mass. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinion

Kern, J.

This case arises out of a medical malpractice action brought by Plaintiff, James Demers (“Plaintiff’) against two physicians for their purported failure to adequately advise and treat his son, Wilfred Demers (“Wilfred”). Plaintiff is the Executor of his deceased son’s estate. Defendant, Doreen Brettler, M.D. (“Brettler”) filed a Third-Party Complaint against the pharmaceutical companies (“the Fractionators”) that processed the factor concentrate that she had administered to Wilfred seeking indemnification (Count I) and contribution (Count II).4 The Fractionators now move for summary judgment as to Count I of the Third-Party Complaint. For the following reasons, the Fractionators’ motion for summary judgment is ALLOWED.

BACKGROUND

On October 15, 1980, at the age of twenty-three months, Wilfred was referred to the hemophilia clinic at the Medical Center of Central Massachusetts (“MCCM”), located in Worcester. Beginning sometime in or before 1982, Brettler began treating Wilfred for his hemophilia at MCCM. From March 24, 1981, until his death on May 9, 1996, Wilfred’s treatment for hemophilia included infusions of Factor IX concentrate manufactured by the Fractionators. In 1984 or 1985, Plaintiff was informed that Wilfred was HIV positive. At the age of seventeen, Wilfred died from multiple organ systems failure secondary to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (“AIDS”). On or about September 10, 1997, Plaintiff signed a Release settling all of his claims against the Fractionators as part of the nationwide factor concentrate class settlement.

Plaintiffs complaint alleges claims for wrongful death against Brettler and Peter H. Levine, M.D. (“Levine”), the other physician who treated Wilfred at MCCM. Specifically, Plaintiff alleges, inter alia, that Brettler and Levine breached the duty of care owed to Wilfred by failing to advise Wilfred of alternative treatments and by failing to warn of the risks associated with continued use of Factor IX concentrate. Plaintiff has brought suit against Brettler and Levine pursuant to G.L.c. 229, §6.

Brettler’s Third-Party Complaint against the Fractionators alleges that the Fractionators owed a duty of care to Wilfred to safely manufacture, distribute, and sell Factor IX blood products. Brettler asserts that the death of Wilfred was a direct and proximate result of the acts and omissions of the Fractionators and as such indemnification by the Fractionators is appropriate.

DISCUSSION

I. Standard of Review

Summary judgment is appropriate when no material facts are in dispute and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Mass.R.Civ.P. 56(c); Highlands Ins. Co. v. Aerovox, Inc., 424 Mass. 226, 232 (1997). The moving party bears the burden [638]*638of affirmatively demonstrating the absence of a triable issue and showing that the summary judgment record entitles the moving party to judgment as a matter of law. Pederson v. Time, Inc., 404 Mass. 14, 16-17 (1989). If the moving party establishes the absence of a triable issue, the party opposing the motion must respond and allege specific facts establishing the existence of a material fact in order to defeat the motion. Pederson, 404 Mass. at 17.

II. Indemnification

Brettler contends that she is entitled to tort-based indemnification from the Fractionators. Such a tort-based right exists where the putative indemnitee is free of negligence. See Leasetec v. Inhabitants of County of Cumberland, 896 F.Sup. 35, 39 (D.Me. 1995) (applying Massachusetts law).

If Brettler is found liable for negligently treating Wilfred, she contends that her liability is premised on the Fractionators’ negligence in developing, processing, manufacturing and distributing the tainted factor concentrate. Brettler further argues that if she is found liable, then her liability is merely “derivative,” “vicarious,” or “constructive.” Brettler argues that these forms of liability result from the fact that Brettler did not participate in the creation of the tainted factor concentrate. She only prescribed the defective product.

Generally, a person who negligently causes injury to a third person is not entitled to indemnification from another person who also negligently caused that injury. See Rathbun v. Western Massachusetts Elec. Co., 395 Mass. 361, 364 (1985). However, “sometimes the successful indenmitee in such a situation is said to have been only ‘constructively’ rather than ‘actually’ negligent or to have been ‘derivatively’ or ‘vicariously’ liable rather than ‘directly’ liable.” Id. At 364. “Only in exceptional cases, however, has indemnity been allowed to one who was not free from fault.” Id. at 364 (citations omitted).

None of the cases cited by Brettler involve indemnification in circumstances analogous to those in the present case. Rathbun, heavily relied on by Brettler, involved injuries sustained when a dump truck came in contact with a voltage electric transmission line at a city landfill. Plaintiffs subsequently brought suit against the Western Massachusetts Electric Company (“WMEC”). Id. at 362. WMEC brought a Third-Party Complaint against the City of Pittsfield seeking indemnification since the City had granted the electric company an easement for the transmission line. Id. at 361-62. The SJC held that indemnity was not appropriate since WMEC was negligent in causing the plaintiffs injuries and “those cases in which indemnity has been allowed to a negligent indemnitee, the indemnitee’s negligence has been insignificant in relation to that of the indemnitor.” Id. at 364. Brettler conceded at oral argument that there were no cases involving indemnification in the medical malpractice area.

In Slocum v. Donahue, 44 Mass.App.Ct. 937 (1998), plaintiffs filed an action alleging negligence and gross negligence by the defendants in driving an automobile which resulted in the death of plaintiffs’ son. See id. at 937. Defendants filed a Third-Party Complaint alleging that Ford Motor Company, the manufacturer of the car defendant was driving, was negligent and breached the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Id. Defendants sought contribution and indemnity from Ford Motor Company. Id. Prior to trial, plaintiffs and Ford Motor Company reached a settlement in exchange for a release of any claim against Ford Motor Company. Id. Such a settlement is analogous to the type of settlement reached between the Fractionators and Plaintiff here. Addressing the issue of indemnity, the Appeals Court in Slocum held that:

Once Ford settled with the [plaintiffs], the sole question for the fact finder was whether [plaintiffs’ son’s] death was caused by [defendant’s] negligence. [Defendant] was free to claim that he was not negligent and that [plaintiffs’ son’s] death was caused by Ford’s negligence in selling a defective product. Under no set of circumstances could the jury properly have held the [defendant] liable to the [plaintiffs] for the conduct of Ford. Further, in holding [defendant] negligent the jury concluded that he was solely negligent (or was a joint tortfeasor with Ford). [Defendant’s] liability is not vicarious and he is not entitled to indemnification from Ford. If Ford had remained in the case, any liability on its part would have been as a joint tortfeasor, and contribution would have been required.

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Related

Pederson v. Time, Inc.
532 N.E.2d 1211 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1989)
Rathbun v. Western Massachusetts Electric Co.
479 N.E.2d 1383 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1985)
Decker v. Black & Decker Manufacturing Co.
389 Mass. 35 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1983)
Highlands Insurance v. Aerovox Inc.
676 N.E.2d 801 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1997)
Slocum v. Donahue
44 Mass. App. Ct. 937 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1998)
Wilhelm v. Bonnie & Clyde Contracting Co.
9 Mass. L. Rptr. 625 (Massachusetts Superior Court, 1999)

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Bluebook (online)
12 Mass. L. Rptr. 637, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/demers-v-levine-masssuperct-2001.