Jorgensen v. Superior Court

329 P.2d 550, 163 Cal. App. 2d 513, 1958 Cal. App. LEXIS 1531
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 12, 1958
DocketCiv. 9492
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 329 P.2d 550 (Jorgensen v. Superior Court) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jorgensen v. Superior Court, 329 P.2d 550, 163 Cal. App. 2d 513, 1958 Cal. App. LEXIS 1531 (Cal. Ct. App. 1958).

Opinion

SCHOTTKY, J.

This is a petition for a writ of mandate to compel the respondent to set aside its order denying an application for the pretrial inspection of a certain medical report in the possession of the attorneys for Daniel McCaskill, the defendant in a civil action initiated by the petitioner.

On May 13, 1957, petitioner filed a complaint for damages due to personal injuries resulting from the alleged medical malpractice of defendant Daniel McCaskill.

The attorneys for defendant Daniel McCaskill requested that the petitioner be examined by Dr. John Adams. On January 14, 1958, the petitioner voluntarily submitted to a physical examination by Dr. Adams, whose report was thereafter transmitted to the attorneys for defendant.

The petitioner did not receive a copy of this medical report and her request for such copy was refused by the attorneys for defendant. Petitioner then, on March 14, 1958, moved the respondent court for an order to inspect and copy this medical report. This motion was denied on March 18, 1958. A subsequent motion to vacate the respondent court’s order of March 18,1958, was likewise denied on March 28, 1958.

The motions of petitioner before the respondent court were apparently made under the authority of sections 2031 and 2032 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Section 2031 in effect permits any party, upon good cause shown, to inspect and copy any documents or other papers in the possession of any other party. Section 2032 in effect provides that where the mental or physical condition of a party is in issue the court may, upon good cause shown, order a party to submit to a physical examination. The party examined pursuant to such order is then entitled to a copy of the medical report.

It appears that the motions of the petitioner were denied *515 solely on the ground that the medical report was privileged, the court stating: “It is, therefore, the Court’s opinion that the communications, whether they be oral or in writing, between Dr. Adams and counsel for defendant, are privileged and, therefore, not subject to inspection under Sections 2031 and 2032 of the Code of Civil Procedure.”

The respondent contends that this report is within the attorney-client privilege. It relies principally on City & County of San Francisco v. Superior Court, 37 Cal.2d 227 [231 P.2d 26, 25 A.L.R.2d 1418]. In that case the plaintiff brought an action against the city. To aid in preparing the suit the plaintiff’s attorney caused the plaintiff to be examined by a doctor to ascertain the extent of his injuries. The defendant city sought to compel the doctor to answer certain questions. The court held that while no physician-patient privilege was present the attorney-client privilege was applicable and the doctor could not be compelled to answer. The theory of the case was that the attorney-client privilege exists in order to permit a client to communicate freely with his legal adviser without fear that such communication would later be divulged to his prejudice. In order to communicate with his attorney it may be necessary for the client to employ an agent, such as a messenger or interpreter and any communication through such an agency is likewise within the privilege. When it is necessary for the client to communicate information as to his physical condition to his attorney he may require the services of a physician. The physician is then the agent through which the communication is made and his report would be privileged. As the court there stated (p. 237) : ‘ Thus, when communication by a client to his attorney regarding his physical or mental condition requires the assistance of a physician to interpret the client’s condition to the attorney, the client may submit to an examination by the physician without fear that the latter will be compelled to reveal the information disclosed.”

Thus we see that the attorney-client privilege is to protect communications between attorney and client. When the plaintiff is examined by a physician for the purpose of informing the plaintiff’s attorney as to the plaintiff’s physical condition the medical report is privileged. (City & County of San Francisco v. Superior Court, supra, In re Ochse, 38 Cal.2d 230 [238 P.2d 561]; State v. Kociolek, 23 N.J. 400 [129 A.2d 417].)

However, when the plaintiff is examined by a physician for *516 the purpose of informing the defendant’s attorney as to the plaintiff’s physical condition the circumstances are entirely different and the same rule is not applicable. It is communication between the client and his own attorney which is privileged. In the instant case the communication was by plaintiff to a physician engaged by counsel for defendant. In such a case the necessary element of attorney-client relationship is lacking and the essential feature of confidential intent in revealing information is also lacking.

Our Supreme Court has held in Sharff v. Superior Court, 44 Cal.2d 508 [282 P.2d 896], that when a doctor selected by defendants conducts a physical examination of plaintiff, the plaintiff should be permitted to have plaintiff’s attorney present during the examination. This indicates strongly that the submission of plaintiff to examination by a doctor employed by defense counsel is adversary rather than confidential.

Respondent also argues that the physician in this case is in the nature of an expert witness who has examined the subject matter of litigation and that his report is then privileged. However, this report was made possible only through the cooperation of the plaintiff. Without such cooperation the defendant would have been compelled to seek a court order requiring such an examination and under such a situation the plaintiff would have been entitled to a copy of the report. (Code Civ. Proc., § 2032.) Therefore, when the plaintiff voluntarily submits to such an examination there is no reason to deny him a copy of the report.

We conclude that the medical report requested by petitioner was not a privileged communication and that the court erred in denying petitioner’s motion for an inspection of it. But even if the report was privileged we believe that the privilege was waived.

A similar question was recently before the First District Court of Appeal in Grover v. Superior Court, 161 Cal.App.2d 644 [327 P.2d 212], In that case counsel for plaintiff had stipulated that a Dr. O’Connor, acting for defendant, could conduct a physical examination of plaintiff. Thereafter, plaintiff’s request for a copy of the report was refused. The superior court denied plaintiff’s motion to inspect and take a copy of the report, and plaintiff sought a writ in the District Court of Appeal. In granting the writ the court said, at pages 647-648:

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Bluebook (online)
329 P.2d 550, 163 Cal. App. 2d 513, 1958 Cal. App. LEXIS 1531, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jorgensen-v-superior-court-calctapp-1958.