Harman v. Kennedy

25 Pa. D. & C.4th 411, 1995 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 171
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Westmoreland County
DecidedJuly 10, 1995
Docketno. 7250 of 1994
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 25 Pa. D. & C.4th 411 (Harman v. Kennedy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Westmoreland County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Harman v. Kennedy, 25 Pa. D. & C.4th 411, 1995 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 171 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1995).

Opinion

LOUGHRAN, J,

Plaintiffs commenced this action to recover damages as a result of alleged negligent care and treatment rendered to the plaintiff, Melba W. Harman, by the defendants, George W. Kennedy, M.D. and Latrobe Area Hospital.

In paragraphs 4-7 of plaintiffs’ complaint, plaintiffs allege that on December 29, 1993, Melba W. Harman was treated and evaluated at the Latrobe Area Hospital emergency room by Dr. Kennedy for nasal bleeding complications following nasal septal reconstruction and partial bilateral inferior surgery that was performed earlier that same day by Dr. R.K. Naidu.

Plaintiffs allege that Dr. Naidu was then called to the hospital, and thereafter, Dr. Naidu treated the plaintiff for the nasal bleeding. Plaintiffs allege throughout the complaint and amended complaint that they sustained injuries and damages as a result of the alleged negligent treatment provided by the defendants. In paragraphs 63 through 66 of plaintiffs’ amended complaint in civil action, plaintiffs allege that their injuries and damages directly and proximately resulted from the negligence of Latrobe Area Hospital Inc. in violating the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, 42 U.S.C. §1395dd et seq.

Specifically, paragraph 64(a) alleges that Latrobe Area Hospital Inc. was negligent for allegedly violating 42 U.S.C. §1395dd et seq., as follows:

“(a) By failing to provide the plaintiff as an indigent emergency room patient with an appropriate medical screening examination within the capability of the defendant hospital emergency department on December [413]*41329, 1993 in violation of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1395dd et seq. ”

The defendants have filed preliminary objections contending that the Court of Common Pleas of Westmoreland County lacks jurisdiction over any claims brought pursuant to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, as the Act only provides for a federal cause of action and in the alternative, that the plaintiff has failed to allege a cause of action under the Act because of the absence of any allegations that the plaintiff was dumped due to economic reasons.

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act at 42 U.S.C. § 1395dd provides not only for a federal cause of action, but also for a state cause of action and this court has concurrent jurisdiction. The Supreme Court of the United States in the case of Tafflin v. Levitt, 493 U.S. 455, 107 L.Ed.2d 887, 110 S.Ct. 792 (1990) was faced with the issue of whether state courts have concurrent jurisdiction over civil actions brought under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The United States Supreme Court began by saying that under our federal system states possess sovereignty concurrent with that of the federal government, subject only to limitations imposed by the supremacy clause. The Supreme Court of the United States has consistently held that state courts have authority to hear claims arising under the laws of the United States. See e.g., Houston v. Moore, 5 Wheat. 1, 25-26, 5 L.Ed. 19 (1820); Claflin v. Houseman, 93 U.S. 130, 136-37, 23 L.Ed. 883 (1876); Plaquemines Tropical Fruit Co. v. Henderson, 170 U.S. 511, 517, 42 L.Ed. 1126, 18 S.Ct. 685 (1898); Charles Dowd Box Co. v. Courtney, 368 U.S. 502, 507-508, 7 L.Ed.2d 483, 82 S.Ct. 519 (1962); Gulf Offshore Co. v. Mobil Oil Corp., 453 U.S. 473, 477-78, 69 L.Ed.2d 784, 101 [414]*414S.Ct. 2870 (1981). The court noted that it had stated in Claflin, “If exclusive jurisdiction be neither express nor implied, the state courts have concurrent jurisdiction whenever, by their own constitution, they are competent to take it.” (93 U.S. at 136, 23 L.Ed. 833); see also, Dowd Box, supra at 507-508, 7 L.Ed.2d 483, 82 S.Ct. 519, “Congress may, if it sees fit, give to the federal courts exclusive jurisdiction.”

As the Supreme Court stated in Gulf, supra, “the court begins with the presumption that state courts enjoy concurrent jurisdiction. Congress, however, may confine jurisdiction to the federal courts either explicitly or implicitly. Thus, the presumption of concurrent jurisdiction can be rebutted by an explicit statutory directive, by unmistakable implication from legislative history, or by a clear incompatibility between state court jurisdiction and federal interests.” (453 U.S. at 478, 69 L.Ed.2d 784, 101 S.Ct. 2870.) This means that if the EMTALA does not explicitly state that the state courts do not have jurisdiction and there is compatibility between federal and state law, the state courts have concurrent jurisdiction.

In the instant case, the EMTALA does not explicitly state that the claim under the Act is exclusively federal. The EMTALA under title 42 U. S.C. § 1395dd(d)(2) only states that:

“Any individual who suffers personal harm as a direct result of a participating hospital’s violation of a requirement of this section may, in civil action against the participating hospital, obtain those damages available for personal injury under the law of the state in which the hospital is located, and such equitable relief as is appropriate.”

Nowhere under 42 U.S.C. §1395(dd) (EMTALA) does it state that a claim must be filed in the federal [415]*415court system. It only states that a person that has suffered an injury (“may”) file suit to recover damages. It can be assumed that the congressional intent was to be able to seek a remedy for violation of the EMTALA in both the state and federal court systems. If the legislature did not give exclusive jurisdiction to the district courts then the state and federal courts have concurrent jurisdiction, thus giving this court jurisdiction to hear the plaintiffs’ case under the EMTALA. Accordingly, defendants’ objection as to this issue, under this theory, must be denied.

Whether the plaintiff has presented a claim recognized under EMTALA is the real question that must be decided. 42 U.S.C. §1395dd(a) of the EMTALA provides as follows:

“(a) Medical screening requirement. In the case of a hospital that has a hospital emergency department, if any individual (whether or not eligible for benefits under this title [42 U.S.C. §1395

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

Related

Hoffa v. Bimes
954 A.2d 1241 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2008)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
25 Pa. D. & C.4th 411, 1995 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 171, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/harman-v-kennedy-pactcomplwestmo-1995.