Downing v. Goldberg

29 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 162
CourtCourt of Common Pleas of Ohio, Hamilton County
DecidedFebruary 15, 1932
StatusPublished

This text of 29 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 162 (Downing v. Goldberg) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Common Pleas of Ohio, Hamilton County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Downing v. Goldberg, 29 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 162 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1932).

Opinion

Darby, J.

The plaintiff in error is a physician, and brought suit against the defendant for professional services rendered to the child described as a “baby”, in consultation with Doctor Woodward at Christ Hospital. No statement of defense was filed, and. upon hearing judgment was entered for the defendant.

The bill of exceptions is very brief, and sets forth that plaintiff testified that he is a specialist in infant diseases, that he was called “into consultation by Doctor Woodward to prescribe and give advice about defend[163]*163ant’s baby, who at that time was at Christ Hospital. On May 26 he spent one hour with Doctor Woodward, and on the night of May 27th he again returned and was with Doctor Woodward from 11 P. M. to 2 A. M. in the morning. On the second evening, namely, May 27th, he met the defendant, the father of the baby, at Christ Hospital.”

The plaintiff testified that his services were reasonably worth $20.00; that he had not rendered any bill to Doctor Woodward; that it was not the custom in such cases to render bills to the physicians calling consultants.

The defendant testified that his baby was at the hospital as stated, that he had employed Doctor Woodward to attend the baby, that he did not employ plaintiff nor any other doctor than Doctor Woodward, and that he did not hire, or authorize directly or indirectly, the employment of any one besides Doctor Woodward.

No opinion or statement of the court appears as to the basis of the judgment, but it is assumed that it was on the ground that there was no contract between the defendant and the plaintiff.

It is clear that the plaintiff met the defendant at Christ Hospital at the time of the plaintiff’s second visit to the child, and there is nothing to indicate any objection to the services being rendered by the plaintiff. It is fairly inferable that the case was one of emergency, and that the plaintiff was called because of his special training in such cases, to save the life of the child.

The, defendant is unquestionably responsible for the support of the child, and the only question in the case is as to whether or not the plaintiff may recover under the circumstances stated.

In a number of cases which the court has examined, the services of a consultant were rendered with the consent of the defendant, so that if the defendant knew that the plaintiff was rendering services for his child, even at the invitation of Doctor Woodward, and he accepted those services, he would be liable for them. 48 C. J., 1162 (Physicians and Surgeons Sec. 181) :

“A physician or surgeon summoned in consultation [164]*164by another may recover of the patient compensation for his services, notwithstanding an agreement between the patient and the attending physician that the latter would pay for such services, unless the consülting physician expressly or impliedly assents to the agreement.”

In Sheldon v. Johnspn, 40 Ia., 84 it is held:

“A physician who is called to a consultation by an attending physician for his own benefit, in accordance with an agreement between the latter and his employer that the attending physician shall pay the expense of the consultation, can recover for his services from the employer under an implied contract, notwithstanding the agreement.”

A contract to pay arises from implication, where it is reasonably apparent that under the conditions it was necessary or proper for the attending physician to call a consultant, as in this case. See — 3 Page on the Law of Contracts, Section 1521, where it is stated:

“* * *Like considerations apply tohere A is chargeable with B’s support, and B is injured or taken ill under circumstances which make it apparently necessary to furnish medical or surgical attention at once, without notifying A, or obtaining his consent. Under such circumstances, it is held that if X furnishes medical or surgical services to B, he may recover from A.” (Italics ours).

See also, Tryon v. Dornfield, 130 Minn., 198; Cotnam v. Wisdom, 83 Ark., 601, in which one of the plaintiffs was called as a consultant to assist another physician in an operation upon the injured party, whose estate was sued for the services of both.

In Patterson v. Keys, 1 Cincinnati Superior Court Reporter, 94, p. 100, it is said:

“In general an agent has no right to delegate his authority to a sub-agent without the assent of his principal. But where, from the nature of the agency, a sub-agent must necessarily be employed, the assent of the principal is implied. Dorster & Milton Bank v. New England Bank, 1 Cush., 177.”

[165]*165The judgment of the Municipal Court is reversed and the judgment entered in this court for the amount claimed and proven by the plaintiff as the reasonable value of his services.

The plaintiff in error is a physician, and filed suit in the sum of $30.00 in the Municipal Court against the defendant' in error, for professional medical services rendered to the wife of the defendant. No statement of defense was made. Upon hearing in the Municipal Court, judgment was given for the defendant. This proceeding was brought to reverse that judgment.

By the bill of exceptions, which is but one page in length, it appears that the defendant and his wife were injured in an automobile accident, and in an informal statement made by the defendant in the trial, he said that “his wife was injured more than he, she was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital, and he was taken to the city jail”; that an operation was immediately necessary and was performed by Doctor E. M. Keefe, who called upon the plaintiff to administer the anaesthetic to the wife of the defendant, as a private patient. A short time after, an additional operation was necessary, and the plaintiff rendered service in the same capacity. The testimony was that the charges were reasonable, and had not been paid.

No reasons were given for the action of the court below, but it has been suggested that it was based upon the ground that there was no express contract between the defendant and the plaintiff for the rendering of the services.

The plaintiff in error filed a brief, but there was no appearance in this court on behalf of the defendant in error.

There can be no doubt of the responsibility of the defendant for necessaries furnished to his wife. See General Code Section 7997; Higbee Co. v. Crum, 27 O. A., 107.

[166]*166In Kraft v. Wolf, 3 N. P. (N. S.), 105 it is held:

“1. There can be no doubt that the services of a physician constitute necessaries under the law.”

In Cleveland Ry. Co. v. Kuncie, 26 O. A., 275, it is held:

“* * * husband is bound to pay for medical services rendered to wife as necessaries; he not being excused from liability therefor because of Sections 7998, 7999 and 8000, General Code respectively, establishing husband as the head of the family, permitting spouses to contract with each other, and providing that parties cannot alter legal relations.”

An express contract is not necessary in cases of emergency, etc. In Cotnam v. Wisdom, 83 Ark., 601 it is held:

“1.

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Raoul v. Newman
59 Ga. 408 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1877)
Shelton v. Johnson
40 Iowa 84 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1874)
Tryon v. Dornfeld
153 N.W. 307 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1915)

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Bluebook (online)
29 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 162, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/downing-v-goldberg-ohctcomplhamilt-1932.