Hinkle v. Adams

74 S.W.3d 189, 2002 Tex. App. LEXIS 2795, 2002 WL 654433
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 19, 2002
Docket06-00-00164-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 74 S.W.3d 189 (Hinkle v. Adams) 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
Hinkle v. Adams, 74 S.W.3d 189, 2002 Tex. App. LEXIS 2795, 2002 WL 654433 (Tex. Ct. App. 2002).

Opinions

OPINION

Opinion by Justice ROSS.

Ronnie Hinkle and Alice Hinkle, on behalf of and as guardians for Brianna Bag-well, Ashley Heashe, individually and as representative of the estate of Elizabeth Bagwell, deceased, Onise Sanders and Jasper Sanders (known hereinafter collectively as Hinkle) appeal the trial court’s granting of no-evidence motions for summary judgment filed by John Adams, M.D., and Med Tex Minor Medical Center, Inc. and Roxanna Cox.

Hinkle filed suit against Adams, individually and d/b/a Med Tex Minor Medical Center, Inc., Med Tex Minor Medical Center, Inc., and Roxanna Cox (Appellees) for negligence resulting in the death of Elizabeth Bagwell. Hinkle asserted twenty ways in which the Appellees were negligent, including the failure of Adams to implement policies and procedures that would allow the staff to question the physicians or call an ambulance at their own discretion. Hinkle alleged Cox is an employee of Adams or Med Tex, making Adams or Med Tex liable for Cox’s actions. Hinkle also alleged Adams and/or Med Tex were engaged in a joint enterprise with Joseph Hance, M.D., and Interim Physicians, Inc. Finally, Hinkle alleged Adams is the alter ego of Med Tex.

Though Med Tex and Cox filed a joint no-evidence motion for summary judgment and Adams filed a separate no-evidence motion for summary judgment, the trial court rendered one judgment granting summary judgment as to all Appellees and disposing of all Hinkle’s claims.

Hinkle appeals the granting of summary judgment to Adams. Hinkle first contends the trial court erred in granting summary judgment to Adams because summary judgment evidence established material and genuine factual issues as to whether Adams was negligent in failing to implement any policy or procedure which would have prevented Elizabeth Bagwell’s death. [192]*192Second, Hinkle contends the trial court erred in granting Adams’ motion for summary judgment because there is sufficient evidence to survive summary judgment as to whether Cox was an employee of Adams, thereby making Adams liable for Cox’s actions. Hinkle next contends the trial court erred in granting summary judgment for Adams because summary judgment evidence established material and genuine factual issues as to whether Adams was engaged in a joint enterprise with Interim Physicians. Finally, Hinkle contends the trial court improperly granted Adams’ motion for summary judgment because summary judgment evidence created material and genuine issues of fact as to whether Adams and Med Tex were alter egos of one another.

With regard to Cox, Hinkle contends the trial court erred in granting her motion for summary judgment because summary judgment evidence created material and genuine issues of fact as to whether Cox’s actions were the proximate cause of Bag-well’s death.

With regard to Med Tex, Hinkle contends summary judgment evidence created material and genuine issues of fact sufficient to survive summary judgment as to whether Cox was Med Tex’s employee, thereby making Med Tex hable for Cox’s actions, and that summary judgment evidence created material and genuine issues of fact as to whether Med Tex and Interim Physicians were engaged in a joint enterprise.

Med Tex is an incorporated medical clinic with two shareholders and two officers, Adams and his wife. Adams treats patients at the clinic under a service agreement. When Adams is unavailable, Med Tex staffs the clinic with locum tenens physicians provided by Interim Physicians. At the time of Bagwell’s death, Med Tex employed a small staff, including a licensed vocational nurse, Paula Whittington, and a certified medical assistant, Cox.

On November 4, 1997, Bagwell visited Med Tex and Adams treated her back pain by prescribing Ultram and Naprelan. On the morning of November 5, 1997, Bagwell called Med Tex and told Cox her heart rate had become rapid during the night, but she was feeling better that morning. Adams was gone for the day, and the locum tenens physician had not yet arrived. Cox advised Bagwell to take another Naprelan, and then, if her symptoms did not recur, to take the Ultram at lunch. Shortly thereafter, Joseph Hance, M.D., the locum tenens physician, arrived and Cox told him of the advice she gave Bag-well.

Around three that afternoon, Bagwell came into the office complaining of a rapid heart rate and other ailments. She was seen by Hance and was given an EKG and some medications. As Hance was about to leave, Whittington, the nurse, reminded him Bagwell was still at the facility. Hance told Whittington that Bagwell would be all right and to send her home. Whittington escorted Bagwell to the car and recommended she go straight to the emergency room. Early in the morning of November 6, 1997, Bagwell was taken to the emergency room. She died in the hospital on November 7.

The Appellees all filed no-evidence motions for summary judgment under Tex.R. Civ. P. 166a(i). Because a no-evidence summary judgment is essentially a pretrial directed verdict, we apply the same legal sufficiency standard in reviewing a no-evidence summary judgment as we apply in reviewing a directed verdict. Jackson v. Fiesta Mart, Inc., 979 S.W.2d 68, 70 (Tex.App.-Austin 1998, no pet.). Therefore, our task as an appellate court is to ascertain whether the nonmovant produced any evidence of probative force to raise a fact [193]*193issue on the material questions presented. Id. We consider all the evidence in the light most favorable to the party against whom the no-evidence summary judgment was rendered, disregarding all contrary evidence and inferences. Merrell Dow Phams., Inc. v. Havner, 953 S.W.2d 706, 711 (Tex.1997). A no-evidence summary judgment is improperly granted if the non-movant presents more than a scintilla of probative evidence to raise a genuine issue of material fact. Jackson, 979 S.W.2d at 70-71. More than a scintilla of evidence exists when the evidence “rises to a level that would enable reasonable and fair-minded people to differ in their conclusions.” Havner, 953 S.W.2d at 711.

We first address whether the trial court properly granted summary judgment as to Adams. Hinkle first contends summary judgment was not proper because the court granted it on a ground not asserted by Adams. A no-evidence summary judgment may not be granted on grounds not expressly presented to the trial court. McConnell v. Southside Indep. Sch. Dist., 858 S.W.2d 337, 339-42 (Tex.1993). Hinkle contends Adams failed to request summary judgment on the claim he was negligent by failing to implement policies and procedures. A review of the record shows Adams moved for summary judgment on this ground.

Hinkle claims Adams was negligent by failing to provide proper policies and procedures regarding telephone triage and proper policies and procedures allowing the staff to question the physician and/or call for emergency assistance. Hinkle contends the trial court erred in finding that Adams owed no duty to create such policies and procedures. Under Rule 166a(i), the movant must state the elements as to which there is no evidence. The court must grant the motion unless the nonmov-ant produces summary judgment evidence raising a genuine issue of material fact. Tex.R. Civ. P. 166a(i).

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

Related

TransPecos Banks v. Jodi Strobach
487 S.W.3d 722 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2016)
Michael Baisden v. I'm Ready Productions, Inc., et
693 F.3d 491 (Fifth Circuit, 2012)
Christi Bay Temple v. Guideone Specialty Mutual Insurance Co.
330 S.W.3d 318 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2009)
in Re James R. Dunnagan
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2009
Reynolds v. Murphy
188 S.W.3d 252 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2006)
Texas Medical Ass'n v. Texas Workers Compensation Commission
137 S.W.3d 342 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2004)
In Re SJG
124 S.W.3d 237 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2003)
Robinson v. National Autotech, Inc.
117 S.W.3d 37 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2003)
in the Interest of S.J.G., a Child
124 S.W.3d 237 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2003)
R. Lynwood Scott, Jr. v. John Charles McKay
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2003

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
74 S.W.3d 189, 2002 Tex. App. LEXIS 2795, 2002 WL 654433, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hinkle-v-adams-texapp-2002.