Dougherty v. Gifford

826 S.W.2d 668, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 456, 1992 WL 31784
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 25, 1992
Docket6-91-023-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by81 cases

This text of 826 S.W.2d 668 (Dougherty v. Gifford) 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
Dougherty v. Gifford, 826 S.W.2d 668, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 456, 1992 WL 31784 (Tex. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinions

OPINION

CORNELIUS, Chief Justice.

Dougherty & Associates and Dr. Jaime Molina appeal from a judgment based on a jury verdict in favor of Mr. and Mrs. Russell Gifford in a medical malpractice action.

Dougherty and Molina raise eleven points of error, asserting that limitations, improper admission of expert testimony, and insufficiency of the evidence precluded the judgment against them. They also assert that a remittitur is required.

Dougherty’s legal sufficiency points must be examined in the light most favorable to the jury findings to determine if there is any probative evidence supporting them, disregarding all contrary evidence and inferences. Garza v. Alviar, 395 S.W.2d 821, 823 (Tex.1965); Raw Hide Oil & Gas v. Maxus Exploration, 766 S.W.2d 264, 276 (Tex.App.-Amarillo 1988, writ denied). If there is any probative evidence to support the findings, the point must be overruled and the findings upheld. Southern States Transportation, Inc. v. State, 774 S.W.2d 639, 640 (Tex.1989).

The factual sufficiency points require us to examine all of the evidence in the record and sustain the points only if the evidence is insufficient or if the findings are so against the overwhelming weight of the evidence as to be clearly wrong and manifestly unjust. Garza v. Alviar, 395 S.W.2d at 823; In re King’s Estate, 150 Tex. 662, 244 S.W.2d 660, 661-62 (1951); Raw Hide Oil & Gas v. Maxus Exploration, 766 S.W.2d at 276.

Gifford developed a hernia of the esophagus that worsened to the point that his family physician referred him to a specialist. The specialist, Dr. Josie Williams, took a biopsy and sent it to the pathology department of McQuistion Regional Medical Center in Paris. Dougherty & Associates had a contract to perform all pathology work for the medical center. The actual pathology work on Gifford’s biopsy, however, was performed by Dr. Jaime Molina, who worked under an arrangement with Dougherty. Molina’s work was done at the medical center laboratory, which Dougherty directed. Dougherty billed Gifford for the pathology services. Molina diagnosed malignant cancer, and as a result, Gifford was ordered to undergo irradiation and chemotherapy treatments.

After six weeks of treatments, a second biopsy was taken, and it revealed that there was no malignancy. Gifford was scheduled for surgery in Dallas, but it was avoided when the original biopsy slides were reviewed and determined to contain no indication of cancer.

The jury found that Molina was negligent in making the cancer diagnosis and that his negligence proximately caused Gif-ford’s injuries, that Molina was an employee and a borrowed servant of Dougherty, that Dougherty was estopped to deny liability for Molina’s work, that Molina and Dougherty fraudulently concealed Molina’s part in the diagnosis, and that Gifford could not have reasonably discovered Molina’s involvement before suit was filed. Damages of $1,000,000.00 to Gifford and $200,000.00 to his wife were awarded.

The relevant dates are:

February 21, 1986 First pathology report/misdiagnosis
May 1986 Gifford learns of misdiagnosis
July 10, 1986 Addendum pathology report prepared by Dougherty and Molina
August 28, 1987 Article 4590i notice letter to M.K. Dougherty & Associates
April 21, 1988 Suit filed against M.K. Dougherty d/b/a Marshall K. Dough-erty, M.D. & Associates
April 27,1988 4590i notice letter to Molina
[673]*673May 8, 1988 Limitations date for February 21, 1986 (including seventy-five-day extension)
May 17,1988 Gifford’s first set of interrogatories
June 10, 1988 Dougherty’s answer filed naming Molina as pathologist doing the work
July 14, 1988 Molina added to suit
September 25, 1988 Limitations date for July 10, 1986 (including seventy-five-day extension)
March 23, 1989 Dougherty filed answer indicating that he was sued in the wrong capacity
November 16, 1989 Gifford’s petition amended to show M.K. Dougherty, M.D. & Associates as a professional association

The first four points of error are interrelated and are grouped for discussion.

The first point of error asserts that Gif-ford’s claim was barred because it was not brought within two years of the misdiagnosis.1 Suit was brought against Molina on July 14, 1988. Gifford contends that limitations should be measured from the last day of Molina’s involvement in the case, which was July 10, 1986, when he prepared an amended report. We disagree.

The continuing treatment doctrine2 applies in situations where a patient’s injury occurs during a course of treatment for a particular condition, and the only readily ascertainable date is the last day of treatment. Kimball v. Brothers, 741 S.W.2d 370, 372 (Tex.1987). The Kimball rule does not apply to this case. There is a course of treatment causing injuries, but the date of the negligent misdiagnosis is readily ascertainable. Furthermore, treatments were rendered only on the basis of the February 1986 diagnosis, not the July 1986 follow-up report. Consequently, the continuing treatment doctrine does not apply, and limitations began on the date of the misdiagnosis in February 1986 and expired in February 1988. Gif-ford’s notice letter sent pursuant to Tex. Rev.Civ.Stat.Ann. art. 4590i (Vernon 1976 & Supp.1992) in April 1988 was not timely and did not extend the filing deadline. Shook v. Herman, 759 S.W.2d 743, 746 (Tex.App.-Dallas 1988, writ denied). As noted earlier, Gifford filed suit against Molina in July 1988, well outside the limitations period. Thus, his claim is barred unless the jury’s finding of fraudulent concealment is sustainable.

In point two, Dougherty and Molina contend that the jury finding of fraudulent concealment is not supported by legally or factually sufficient evidence.

It is undisputed that Gifford learned of the misdiagnosis in May 1986, within the limitations period. Gifford asserts that suit was not filed earlier because Molina’s identity as the pathologist who did the work was concealed until after limitations had run. To succeed on this fraudulent concealment claim, Gifford had to show that Dougherty and Molina had actual knowledge of Molina’s involvement, a duty to disclose Molina’s identity, and a fixed purpose to conceal Molina’s identity. See Rhodes v. McCarron, 763 S.W.2d 518, 524 (Tex.App.-Amarillo 1988, writ denied); Leeds v. Cooley, 702 S.W.2d 213, 215 (Tex.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1985, writ ref’d n.r.e.). If fraudulent concealment is established, Molina is estopped from claiming limitations as an affirmative defense. Borderlon v. Peck, 661 S.W.2d 907, 908 (Tex. 1983).

Dougherty assigned Molina to do Gif-ford’s pathology work. Molina prepared his report on Dougherty’s business forms. Dougherty billed Gifford for Molina’s work. Knowledge of Molina’s involvement is indisputably shown.

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Bluebook (online)
826 S.W.2d 668, 1992 Tex. App. LEXIS 456, 1992 WL 31784, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dougherty-v-gifford-texapp-1992.