Eiskina v. Keasler

511 So. 2d 1289, 1987 La. App. LEXIS 9981
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedAugust 19, 1987
DocketNo. 18886-CA
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 511 So. 2d 1289 (Eiskina v. Keasler) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Eiskina v. Keasler, 511 So. 2d 1289, 1987 La. App. LEXIS 9981 (La. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

NORRIS, Judge.

Plaintiffs, Mary Jane Eiskina, Cynthia Eiskina, Michael Eiskina and Tammy Eiski-na, are the widow and children, respectively, of Raymond Eiskina. Defendants are Dr. Stephen Keasler, Dr. William T. Hall, Hartford Insurance Co., Emergency Physicians of Physicians and Surgeons Hospital, and the State of Louisiana. Plaintiffs and the State of Louisiana appeal a judgment dismissing Dr. Keasler and his insurance company, Hartford,1 from this malpractice suit on an exception of prescription. There was no evidentiary hearing on the exception. It was submitted to the court on the parties’ joint stipulation of the facts contained in various exhibits.

Raymond Eiskina was hospitalized on August 18, 1980 at Physicians and Surgeons Hospital for pain in his right kidney. On August 22, 1980, Dr. Keasler and Dr. Hall inserted Gianturco coils into Mr. Eiski-na’s bloodstream as a prelude to removing the right kidney. As was later determined, one or more of the coils migrated and impaired the blood flow to the left kidney. On August 25, 1980 Mr. Eiskina’s right kidney was removed. On August 29, 1980 the doctors learned that his left kidney was being destroyed by the impairment of the blood stream. Mr. Eiskina remained on dialysis until his death on July 17, 1982.

On August 5, 1981 plaintiffs’ counsel wrote the Commissioner of Insurance to determine whether Dr. Keasler was covered under the Medical Malpractice Act (MMA). On August 7, 1981 the Commissioner’s office responded that Dr. Keasler, as an employee of Emergency Physicians of Physicians and Surgeons Hospital, was qualified under LSA-R.S. 40:1299.41, et seq., and sent the appropriate certificate of enrollment for Emergency Physicians. At this point, a prima facie case had been made that Dr. Keasler was a qualified health care provider under the MMA. Hill v. Brentwood Hosp., Inc., 480 So.2d 875 (La.App. 2d Cir.1985); Goins v. Texas State Optical, Inc., 468 So.2d 743 (La.App. 4th Cir.1985). On August 11, 1981, the plaintiffs submitted their petition for a medical review panel to the Commissioner in accordance with the MMA’s requirement that before suit can be filed against a qualified health care provider the claim must be processed through a panel. § 1299.41, et seq. In compliance with the statute, the Commissioner’s office again responded that Dr. Keasler was qualified under the Medical Malpractice Act, although his insurer was incorrectly identified as Chubb. On May 24, 1982 the Commissioner of Insurance’s office corrected this, stating that the insurer was Vigilant Insurance.

The medical review panel issued an opinion on August 26, 1982, in which it questioned whether Dr. Keasler’s actions were covered under the provisions of the Vigilant policy and did not consider whether his actions met the applicable standard of care. This posed a material issue of fact not requiring expert medical opinion, thus necessitating a lawsuit. § 1299.47 G. Plaintiffs filed this suit October 22, 1982. August 21, 1984 Vigilant Insurance Company was dismissed with prejudice from the suit on a motion for summary judgment. Vigilant contended that Dr. Keasler had not been performing emergency services to the deceased and that its policy covered emergency medicine only. On August 26, 1986 appellees’ attorney requested Dr. Keasler’s certificate of enrollment for the time of the alleged malpractice. Pursuant thereto, on August 27, 1986 the Commissioner’s office furnished appellees’ attorney the certificate [1291]*1291of enrollment showing that Dr. Keasler was qualified under the Medical Malpractice Act for emergency medicine only.2 Dr. Keasler and Hartford then filed this exception of prescription which the trial court sustained, dismissing the suit as to both.

Plaintiffs appeal the judgment on the exception. We address only their first assignment of error, reversing the lower court’s decision.

The trial court found that Dr. Keasler was not qualified under the MMA, and therefore prescription was not suspended by the filing of a petition for a medical review panel.3 LSA-R.S. 40:1299.41, et seq. The trial court’s finding that Dr. Keasler was not qualified under the act was based on stipulated exhibits which indicated that the medical acts Dr. Keasler performed on Mr. Eiskina were unrelated to emergency room activity and the Certificate of Enrollment issued August 27, 1986 that purported to list Dr. Keasler as qualified for emergency medicine only. The trial court erred in this determination. Dr. Keasler was a qualified health care physician under the MMA, and therefore plaintiffs received the benefit of the suspension of prescription provision in 40:1299.47 A.

It was shown in the stipulated evidence that Dr. Keasler was a qualified health care physician; the only issue is whether he was qualified to only a limited extent, for emergency medicine only. To be qualified under the MMA, a health care provider must file proof of financial responsibility and pay a statutorily authorized surcharge. Dr. Keasler’s financial responsibility was established by his filing with the Commissioner of Insurance proof that he was insured by a policy of malpractice liability insurance in the amount of at least $100,-000 per claim. LSA-R.S. 40:1299.42 A and E. A health care provider is a person, corporation, facility or institution licensed by this state to provide health care or professional services as a physician. 1299.41 A(l). Physician means a person with an unlimited license to practice medicine in this state. § 1299.41 A(2).

Dr. Keasler, a person with an unlimited license to practice medicine in this state, had filed proof that he was insured by a policy of malpractice liability insurance in the amount of at least $100,000 per claim. Malpractice is defined as any unintentional tort or any breach of contract based on health care or professional services rendered, or which should have been rendered, by a health care provider to a patient. LSA-R.S. 40:1299.41 A(8). Health care means any act or treatment performed or furnished, or which should have been performed or furnished, by any health care provider for, to, or on behalf of a patient during the patient’s medical care, treatment or confinement. § 1299.41 A(9).

The statute plainly contemplates a fully licensed medical practitioner who is insured for any unintentional tort or breach of contract based on any act or treatment performed or furnished by the practitioner on behalf of a patient within the state of Louisiana. The insurer assumes all obligations to pay an award imposed against the insured for his unintentional tort or breach of contract under the provisions of the statute. § 1299.45 D(l). Notably, the statute does not contemplate that a health care provider be qualified only in specific areas of health care, but rather that he [1292]*1292qualify with unlimited medical malpractice coverage. § 1299.45 C provides that

[a]ny provision in a policy attempting to limit or modify the liability of the insurer contrary to the provisions of this part is void, except that a provision in a malpractice liability insurance policy approved by the insurance commissioner which limits the aggregate sum for which the insurer may be liable during the policy period shall be valid.

Thus, for the purpose of this exception, any attempt by Vigilant to limit its coverage or Dr. Keasler’s qualification to emergency medicine only is void and does not affect his status as a qualified health care provider.

Even if we had found that Dr.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

St. Paul Fire and Marine Ins. Co. v. Eusea
775 So. 2d 32 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2000)
Eiskina v. Keasler
514 So. 2d 135 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1987)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
511 So. 2d 1289, 1987 La. App. LEXIS 9981, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/eiskina-v-keasler-lactapp-1987.