Frisnegger v. Gibson

598 P.2d 574, 183 Mont. 57, 1979 Mont. LEXIS 841
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 1, 1979
Docket14189
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 598 P.2d 574 (Frisnegger v. Gibson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Frisnegger v. Gibson, 598 P.2d 574, 183 Mont. 57, 1979 Mont. LEXIS 841 (Mo. 1979).

Opinions

[59]*59MR. JUSTICE SHEEHY

delivered the opinion of the Court.

This is an appeal by Dr. Harry C. Gibson, an ophthalmologist of Kalispell, Montana, from a judgment of $175,000 against him in favor of the plaintiff, Harold M. Frisnegger on a malpractice claim.

Dr. Gibson admitted liability during the course of the trial. In his appeal from the judgment in the District Court, Eleventh Judicial District, Flathead County, he contends that the damage award was excessive, and is not supported by the evidence; and that the jury was improperly instructed by the trial court.

On October 16, 1975, Frisnegger had a chalazion, a small growth, in the middle of his left upper eyelid. He went to the office of Dr. Gibson for the removal of the growth. Dr. Gibson said he was in a hurry, but agreed to perform the removal.

Dr. Gibson applied an anesthetic to his left eye area but the first administration of the anesthetic seemed ineffective. On his second attempt to administer an anesthetic with a needle and syringe, the doctor inserted the needle directly into Frisnegger’s eye and lens. The chalazion was removed. Frisnegger did not know that the needle had been inserted directly into his eye. He was given some salve to take several times a day to keep down infection and was told to return to the doctor on October 23, 1975.

In the interim, Frisnegger tried to go hunting, but his left eye vision was blurry and became cloudy, so that he had to return home.

On October 23, 1975, Frisnegger saw the doctor for three hours and was sent by the doctor to a hospital for x-rays and then to another ophthalmologist, Dr. John Stephan, who told Frisnegger that his eye had been pierced.

On the following afternoon Dr. Gibson told Frisnegger that he had slipped with the needle and that the eye would probably get worse. He told Frisnegger he was entitled to compensation. When Frisnegger was told this, he became very agitated and walked out. The doctor’s notes indicate “he became quite agitated (justifiably).”

[60]*60Before the incident, Frisnegger had 20/20 vision. When examined by Dr. Gibson a few days after the incident, he had a cataract caused when the needle pierced the lens. Frisnegger’s vision is now very blurry. He can see only light and has “tracers” in his eye. The cataract appears to have destroyed its useful vision.

Frisnegger was 51 years old at the time of the incident. He had worked formerly as an assistant service manager in an automobile shop in Great Falls and at the time of the incident was working as the service manager at an automobile shop in Kalispell. His job involved about 60% paperwork. He felt that he had reached the top of his career at the auto service shop. Before the accident, he involved himself in such things as tying flies, doing carpentry work and kept himself busy doing things, and working and playing with his family. He was particularly fond of hunting and snowmobiling.

After the incident, the cataract formed immediately. He has become nervous and tense, gets angry quickly, is irritable, and does not spend much time with his family because he now brings home work so that he can do it in the evening. He finds that in connection with his work at the auto service shop, he is unable to work a full shift because his eyes get tired and he must stop to rest his eyes. He gets headaches in the afternoon, so that his work takes him a couple of extra hours each day.

He does not seem to be able to relax; he does not enjoy fishing and hunting. On weekends, he rests up and relaxes so that at the beginning of the week he is again refreshed but tires out and becomes tense and irritable by the end of the week. He is worried about being able to maintain his job; he worries about his good eye; he is unsteady on his feet and stumbles.

Five medical persons testified during the trial. Dr. Gordon Larson and Dr. Herman Albert Walters testified on behalf of the planintiff; Dr. Charles L. Gates, Dr. Allen S. Quint, and the defendant Dr. Gibson testified on behalf of the defendant.

Dr. Gordon Larson is a Spokane ophthalmologist. He qualified as an expert on the removal of eye cataracts. He stated a cataract operation involves the removal of the eye lens. The operation itself [61]*61is considered low risk surgery. The complication arises in the postoperative use of the eye. In order to be useful, a contact lens must be used but such a lens has a fixed focal ratio so that Frisnegger, after such an operation, would see clearly through the contact lens part of the time and at other times would not, depending on the distance he was looking. The tolerance for contact lenses varies from patient to patient. Lens transplants are being utilized but are not at the stage where the doctor feels they ought to be used. He has advised Mr. Frisnegger that he should delay the cataract operation until either technology has advanced in the contact lens situation or more data comes in with respect to intra-ocular lenses. His examination of Frisnegger disclosed 20/20 vision in the right and and a 20/400 vision in the left eye. Frisnegger’s functional vision would not improve with a contact lens, although for the focal range of the contact lens, his left eye would be restored to its normal vision.

Dr. Herman Albert Walters is a clinical psychologist who teaches at the University of Montana. He qualified as a teacher on the diagnosis of emotional disorders, psychological assessments, depression and psychotherapy. Two of his specialties as a psychologist are depression and suicide. He examined Frisnegger about two weeks before the trial at the request of. Frisnegger’s attorney. He determined that Frisnegger is suffering from severe anxiety and that he shows all the major symptoms of reactive depression. He feels that this depression is moderate, bordering on severe. Dangers arising from this condition include possible loss of ability to work, loss of ability to function emotionally with his family and others, and in the most severe, degree a serious danger of suicide. Frisnegger is afraid of another operation on his eye because of “what happened last time.” Walters expected within a year Frisnegger would have a very severe depression which would be totally disabling. Such a depression will usually run from six to eleven months, remit somewhat and then recur. The recurrences would go on indefinitely. For an indefinite number of years he would estimate it would cost Frisnegger a minimum of $2,500 to $3,000 a year for direct counseling.

[62]*62On behalf of the defendant, Dr. Charles L. Gates, a Spokane ophthalmolgist, testified. He has performed some 5,000 cataract operations. He uses the cryosurgery or freezing method almost always. He described a plastic lens implant, but stated that it was quite experimental. He had examined the plaintiff. He found the left eye to have 20/300 vision. The proper thing for Frisnegger is to have the cataract removed. A permanent contact lens is not available at this time and they are experimental. At the present time the contact lens has to be changed every few months. He would estimate that a cataract operation of Frisnegger would give him between 95 and 100% normal vision afterwards, with the aid of a contact lens. Cost of surgery operation would amount to between $750 and $1,000, and for hospitalization up to $620. He would estimate $50 per year for contact replacement costs. He did not agree with Dr. Larson that Frisnegger’s functional vision would not be improved.

On cross-examination, Dr.

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Bluebook (online)
598 P.2d 574, 183 Mont. 57, 1979 Mont. LEXIS 841, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/frisnegger-v-gibson-mont-1979.