Judith Howell Ponce v. Maria Sandoval

Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided November 2, 2001·No. 07-99-00488-CV·Published

Opinion

NO. 07-99-0488-CV

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE SEVENTH DISTRICT OF TEXAS AT AMARILLO

PANEL A

NOVEMBER 2, 2001

JUDITH HOWELL PONCE, APPELLANT V.

MARIA SANDOVAL, APPELLEE

FROM THE 223RD DISTRICT COURT OF GRAY COUNTY;

NO. 30,361; HONORABLE LEE WATERS, JUDGE

Before BOYD, C.J., and REAVIS and JOHNSON, JJ.

Appellant Judith Howell Ponce, defendant in the trial court, appeals from a judgment by which the trial court disregarded jury findings as to past and future medical expenses of appellee Maria Sandoval, plaintiff in the trial court. The trial court entered judgment against Ponce, notwithstanding the verdict, for amounts greater than the jury found. We reverse and render judgment in accordance with the jury findings.

I. BACKGROUND

On June 20, 1995, an automobile being driven by appellant Judith Howell Ponce ran over Maria Sandoval’s left foot and brushed Sandoval’s lower leg (“the occurrence”). Sandoval sought medical treatment for her injuries at a local hospital emergency room. X-rays taken at the emergency room and records of examinations by emergency room medical personnel showed preexisting changes in her left foot and in both of her knees. Medical personnel noted that the injury from the accident appeared “minimal.” The emergency room records noted that Sandoval’s blood pressure was elevated and a diagnosis of hypertension (high blood pressure) was made. Sandoval returned to the emergency room several times following June 20, 1995, with symptoms consistent with hypertension and physical findings of high blood pressure. On one occasion she was admitted to the intensive care unit for observation due to elevated blood pressure. Sandoval sued Ponce. The case was tried to a jury.

Evidence at trial included testimony as to Sandoval’s physical condition before and after the occurrence and records of the hospital and the emergency room. A medical expert, Dr. Robert Philips, testified on behalf of Sandoval. He explained that numerous causes exist for hypertension, with the major cause being idiopathic or essential hypertension. Idiopathic or essential hypertension is hypertension from unknown causes. Dr. Philips had never examined or seen Sandoval in a clinical setting, but examined her medical records the day before he testified. The records did not include records of any medical treatments from before the occurrence.

Philips testified that in his opinion, to a reasonable medical probability, Sandoval’s hypertension was caused by the occurrence. Dr. Philips further opined that the medical expenses incurred by Sandoval in her multiple visits to the emergency room, her confinement in the intensive care unit for observation, and in obtaining her prescriptions for blood pressure medicine were related to the occurrence. Those expenses totaled $8,167.15. Dr. Philips testified that Sandoval would probably incur regular expenses for blood pressure checkups, laboratory work and blood pressure medication for the rest of her life, that those expenses would be necessary because of the occurrence, and that the expenses would probably be $600 per year. On cross-examination, the doctor agreed that (1) the medical records reflected a bone spur in Sandoval’s left foot and arthritis in both of her knees which pre-existed the occurrence; (2) the only medical record reflecting complaints by Sandoval about her foot or leg as a result of the occurrence was the emergency room record of June 20th; (3) an occurrence like the one of June 20th typically would not cause hypertension, but could cause an episode of elevated blood pressure; (4) the medical records reflected an episode of elevated blood pressure following a subsequent fall at home; and (5) the medical records reflected that Sandoval did not comply with instructions about how to care for her high blood pressure condition, although he opined that the record was in error as to Sandoval’s noncompliance. The record contains no proof that Sandoval would incur future medical expenses resulting from the occurrence except for expenses claimed as a result of her hypertension.

The jury found negligence of Ponce was 51% of the cause of the occurrence and negligence of Sandoval was 49% of the cause of the occurrence. The jury was instructed,

in substance, that in answering the damages question, no amount should be awarded for conditions which (1) did not result from the occurrence, (2) pre-existed the occurrence, except to the extent any preexisting conditions were aggravated by injuries resulting from the occurrence, or (3) resulted from Sandoval’s failure to properly care for her injuries from the occurrence. The jury found that the following sums would fairly and reasonably compensate Sandoval for her injuries resulting from the occurrence:

3(a) Physical pain and mental anguish in the past $500 3(b) Physical pain and mental anguish that, in reasonable probability, Maria Sandoval will sustain in the future $0 3(c) Loss of earning capacity sustained in the past $400 3(d) Loss of earning capacity that, in reasonable probability, Maria Sandoval will sustain in the future $0 3(e) Medical care in the past $1600 3(f) Medical care that, in reasonable probability, Maria Sandoval will incur in the future $0

Judgment was entered in favor of Sandoval on the jury’s verdict for $275, after allowing for appropriate credits and reductions for the negligence findings.

By her First Amended Motion for Judgment Non Obstante Veredicto, for Additur and/or for New Trial, Sandoval requested the trial court to enter judgment notwithstanding the jury’s verdict in regard to past medical expenses and future medical expenses, or to make an additur to the verdict. She also urged that the jury findings of zero damages for future physical pain, mental anguish and loss of earning capacity was so against the weight of the evidence as to be manifestly unjust. Sandoval prayed for judgment nov or additur

as to the past and future medical expenses; or, in the alternative, that if judgment nov was not entered as she requested, that she be granted a new trial.

The trial court chose the first of the courses of action which it was invited to take by Sandoval. In a letter to the parties, the trial court stated that an additur would be ordered to the amounts found by the jury. The judgment entered, however, recited that the court found that (1) the jury answers as to past and future medical expenses were supported by no evidence, (2) the jury answers as to past and future medical expenses were so against the weight and preponderance of the evidence as to be manifestly wrong and unjust, (3) the undisputed medical testimony was that Sandoval’s reasonable and necessary medical expenses in the past were in the aggregate amount of $8,167.15 and that no bill or combination of bills added up to $1,600, and (4) the undisputed medical testimony was that Sandoval’s reasonable and necessary expenses for medical care in the future are $15,300. The judgment then, as to medical expenses, (1) ordered that the jury’s answers as to reasonable and necessary expenses for medical care in the past and future “are overturned and held for naught,” (2) stated that the court found the proper judgment notwithstanding the jury’s verdict should be the sum of $8,167.15 for medical expenses in the past and $15,300.00 for medical expenses in the future, and (3) granted judgment in favor of Sandoval based on the amounts of past and future medical expenses found by the court, in conjunction with the findings made by the jury as to Sandoval’s other damages and the apportioned negligence of the parties.

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