Hill Country San Antonio Management Services, Inc. v. Trejo

424 S.W.3d 203, 2014 WL 547930, 2014 Tex. App. LEXIS 1497
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 12, 2014
DocketNo. 04-13-00559-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 424 S.W.3d 203 (Hill Country San Antonio Management Services, Inc. v. Trejo) 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
Hill Country San Antonio Management Services, Inc. v. Trejo, 424 S.W.3d 203, 2014 WL 547930, 2014 Tex. App. LEXIS 1497 (Tex. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

OPINION

Opinion by:

PATRICIA 0. ALVAREZ, Justice.

On December 14, 2012, Appellee Rachel Trejo filed suit as Next Friend of her adult child, Rene Trejo, asserting that Hill Country Achievement Center breached the standard of care applicable to an adult day-care facility by failing to monitor or assist Rene Trejo as he exited a van after a facility outing. Hill Country originally denied the facility was a health care provider under the Texas Medical Liability Act (TMLA) and subsequently requested Trejo amend her pleadings to assert a cause of action not sounding in medical negligence. Trejo complied with Hill Country’s request. On July 22, 2013, Hill Country filed a motion to dismiss based on Trejo’s failure to provide an expert report as required by Chapter 74. Trejo filed a response and requested sanctions. On August 5, 2013, the trial court denied the motion to dismiss and the motion for sanctions. Because Hill Country is not a health care provider and the alleged injuries do not constitute a health care liability claim, we affirm the trial court’s order.

Factual and Procedural Background

A. Factual Background

Hill Country is a “Day-Hab” facility that provides care for adult individuals. Their services include activities at the center and day trips such as bowling, delivering meals on wheels, working at the food bank, and volunteering at animal shelters.

Rachel Trejo utilized the adult day-care services provided by Hill Country for her adult son, Rene. Rene was diagnosed with Severe Mental Retardation/Autism, Downs Syndrome, Mood Disorder NOS, Psychotic Disorder NOS, and has a pacemaker. He has suffered with mobility issues his entire life and requires assistance entering and exiting vehicles.

On July 21, 2011, Trejo took her son to Hill Country where the day’s plans included a bowling outing. A Hill Country employee transported her son to the bowling alley in a van not outfitted for disabled passengers. The van returned to Hill Country at approximately 2:45 p.m. and was parked in Hill Country’s parking lot. After an undetermined length of time, a co-worker noticed Rene lying on the pavement outside the van. He had a severely broken leg resulting in an eight-week hospitalization, three ICU stays, and over $320,000.00 in medical bills. Trejo asserts that, although Hill Country was aware of her son’s physical and mental limitations, Hill Country employees left Rene unassisted and he fell and sustained injuries.

B. Procedural History

1. Notice of Health Care Liability Claim

On August 10, 2012, Trejo sent written notice to Hill Country that she intended to assert a health care liability claim under Chapter 74. Tex. Crv. Prac. & Rem.Code Ann. § 74.051(a) (West 2011). The record indicates Trejo was notified of the incident by a nurse and information regarding the incident was obtained from a report issued by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Approximately two months later, Trejo received a letter from Hill Country’s automobile carrier denying liability, but the carrier ultimately ten[206]*206dered $2,500.00 in Personal Injury Protection coverage toward Rene’s medical bills.

2. Plaintiff’s Original Petition

On December 14, 2012, Trejo filed her Original Petition alleging general negligence and a Chapter 74 medical malpractice claim. The petition asserted Hill Country’s legal status was uncertain at the time of the filing. In an abundance of caution, Trejo pled that Hill Country “was a medical provider for purposes of Chapter 74, and as such, had a duty to adhere to the standard of care applicable to the provider of medical services,” including those necessary to assist in exiting and entering vehicles. Trejo asserted compliance with section 74.051(a). Id. The petition also alleged Hill Country’s negligence as follows:

(1) failing to provide supervision in accordance with the applicable standard of care as a reasonably prudent Adult Day-care facility would have under the same or similar circumstances;
(2) failing to monitor;
(8) failing to provide assistance in and out of the van;
(4) failing to keep [Rene] from injury by leaving him unattended; [and]
(5) failing to otherwise render health care services in accordance with the applicable standard of care as [a] reasonably prudent day-care facility would have under the same or similar circumstances.

3. Hill Country’s Original Answer

On January 25, 2013, Hill Country filed an answer denying its status as a “Health Care Provider” and, instead, contended the incident was an “unavoidable accident” or “unavoidable consequence.” Hill Country also alleged, that “in the unlikely event” the trial court determined Hill Country to be a health care provider, any damages were limited in accordance with section 74.301. Tex. Civ. PRác. & Rem.Code Ann. § 74.301.

k. Plaintiff’s First and Second Amended Petitions

Trejo’s First and Second Amended Petitions asserted Hill Country breached the standard of care applicable to a health care provider at an Adult Day-care facility, and incorporated and attached the section 74.051(a) notice sent to Hill Country on August 10, 2012.

5. Hill Country Notifies Trejo that 120th Day Passed and Extends Opportunity to Amend Pleadings

In a letter dated April 24, 2013, the 131st day after the original petition was filed, Hill Country notified Trejo that the 120-day deadline for serving expert reports had passed and requested Trejo “amend [her] pleadings and remove [her] medical malpractice claim against” Hill Country. See Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem.Code Ann. § 74.351.1 On the date the letter was filed, Hill Country’s live pleading was its original answer denying it was a health care provider.

6. Plaintiffs Third and Fourth Amended Petitions Deleting Chapter 7U Heading

On May 15, 2013, Trejo filed her Third Amended Petition deleting the medical malpractice cause of action, but continued to assert her compliance with all notice provisions of section 74.051(a). Tex. Civ. [207]*207Prac. & Rem.Code Ann. § 74.051(a). Trejo filed a Fourth Amended Petition correcting Hill Country’s name, but her remaining allegations and notice provisions remained unchanged.

7. Hill Country’s First Amended Answer Asserting its Status as Health Care Provider

After multiple depositions and extensive discovery, on July 19, 2013, Hill Country filed its First Amended Answer pleading that it was a health care provider, as that term is defined by Chapter 74, and also reiterated its demand for limitation of liability under Chapter 74.

8. Plaintiff’s Fifth Amended Petition Deleting all Chapter 74 Claims

Trejo’s Fifth Amended Petition, filed on July 22, 2013, deleted any reference to her chapter 74 claims, including compliance with all notice provisions, but still asserted that Hill Country failed to act as a reasonably prudent adult day-care facility and to provide the proper assistance Rene required to accommodate his level of physical and mental disabilities.

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424 S.W.3d 203, 2014 WL 547930, 2014 Tex. App. LEXIS 1497, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hill-country-san-antonio-management-services-inc-v-trejo-texapp-2014.