Korper v. Weinstein

12 Mass. L. Rptr. 728
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedDecember 6, 2000
DocketNo. 976357
StatusPublished

This text of 12 Mass. L. Rptr. 728 (Korper v. Weinstein) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Korper v. Weinstein, 12 Mass. L. Rptr. 728 (Mass. Ct. App. 2000).

Opinion

Graham, J.

This case arises out of a sexual relationship between the plaintiff Susan H. Korper (“Korper”), and her physician, defendant Mark E. Weinstein (‘Weinstein”). Korper alleges that her sexual relationship with Weinstein constitutes negligence (Count I), deceit (Count II), breach of a fiduciary duty (Count III), outrage (Count IV), and unfair or deceptive acts or practices under G.L.c. 93A (Count V).2 Korper now moves for partial summary judgment as to Count III. Weinstein cross-moves for summary judgment on Count III and has moved for summary judgment on all other counts.

BACKGROUND

Weinstein was an M.D. and chief of surgery at Harvard University Health Services. Korper and Weinstein met on October 14,1994, when Korper was referred to Weinstein as a result of the discovery of suspicious calcifications in her right breast. In 1988, Korper, a forty-two-year-old woman at the time, had undergone a breast biopsy for calcifications in her right breast.

On October 27, 1994, Weinstein performed a second breast biopsy on Korper in the same area as the 1988 biopsy. The biopsy was negative. On November 4, 1994, Korper had a follow-up appointment with Weinstein to have the stitches removed from the biopsy. On that day, the incision was still open and draining and Weinstein did not remove the stitches. Rather, Weinstein withdrew fluid from the underlying hematoma and bandaged the wound. In mid-November, Korper returned to Weinstein to have the stitches finally removed. At this appointment, the wound was still partially open and draining. Therefore, Weinstein secured the edges of the open wound with steri-strips and applied a bandage after removing the stitches.

Korper continued to see Weinstein and during these visits Weinstein and Korper discussed Korper’s Ph.D. research in the area of conflict resolution. Weinstein suggested to Korper that they meet and discuss a project [729]*729that she was currently working on since Weinstein and his wife had experienced a conflict with the Dover Public School system, and he believed that their experience would apparently assist Korper in her research.

On December 3, 1994, Korper and Weinstein met for lunch. Following lunch, Weinstein went to Korper’s house where they engaged in sexual intercourse. This sexual relationship continued for over two years. Korper also states that on one occasion during sexual intercourse, Weinstein removed the almost three-week-old bandage and steri-strips which covered Korper’s more than five-week-old incision. Korper contends that this caused her scar to heal in a worse way than it otherwise would have.

Weinstein stopped treating Korper at the Harvard University Health Services Office after their sexual relationship began. As their relationship grew, they exchanged gifts, shared meals, and Weinstein gave Korper over $41,000 to assist her with living expenses. In 1996, their relationship began to deteriorate. By the end of 1996, Korper expressed the need for Weinstein to go to therapy. Weinstein refused to attend therapy sessions, however, he did attend a joint therapy session with Korper. In 1997, Weinstein told Korper that he did not want to see her anymore, however, he would instruct his wife to continue Korper’s maintenance after his death.

Korper insisted that she and Weinstein enter into a written contract that she had drafted in which, Weinstein agreed to give Korper money for her maintenance, pay her therapy bills, and amend his will to provide for her after his death. The contract also states that Weinstein could not report their relationship to the Board of Registration of Medicine and he could not tell his wife about his relationship with Korper, since Korper did not want to be involved in any marital disputes between Weinstein and his wife. On July 7, 1997, Weinstein died without having amended his will, as set forth in the contract. Korper now seeks to recover from Weinstein’s estate.

DISCUSSION

Negligence/Medical Malpractice

To prevail on a claim of negligence, Korper must show that 1) there was a duty or standard of care owed to her by Weinstein; 2) Weinstein’s conduct constituted a breach of such duty or violation of such standard of care; 3) Weinstein’s conduct was the proximate cause of her harm; and 4) she suffered actual harm. See Armstrong v. Lamy, 938 F.Sup. 1018, 1048 (D.Mass. 1996).

Massachusetts does not recognize a duly between a patient and a surgeon to refrain from consensual sexual intercourse. See Palermo v. Brennan, 41 Mass.App.Ct. 503, 509 n.10 (1996). In Palermo, the Appeals Court distinguished the duty that arises in a therapist-patient relationship from the duty in other professional relationships.3

It is the presence of transference that is the determining factor in these types of cases.4 In Roe v. Federal Ins. Co., 412 Mass. 43 (1992), plaintiff brought suit against her dentist asserting claims of malpractice, breach of contract, assault and battery, G.L.c. 93A, as well as other common law causes of action. Plaintiffs complaint alleged that the dentist had sexually assaulted and molested her during office visits for treatment. The Supreme Judicial Court distinguished this case from cases involving transference that occur in the area of psychiatric care. The SJC held that “there is nothing inherent in the typical relationship between patient and dentist that makes the patient unusually susceptible to accept the sexual advances of the dentist.” Id. at 50-51. Therefore, sexual misconduct by a dentist was not covered under the dentist’s malpractice insurance.

Similarly, here, Korper sought treatment from Weinstein as a surgeon and not as a psychiatrist. As in Roe, there is no presence of the transference phenomenon. Korper cannot maintain a cause of action for negligence/medical malpractice unless there is some evidence of transference. In addition, defendant’s counsel points to case law in other jurisdictions that is persuasive and on point. Based on the summary judgment record, the sexual relationship between Korper and Weinstein did not involve transference. Defendant’s motion for summary judgment as to Count I is ALLOWED.5

Breach of Fiduciary Duty

The analysis under the claim of breach of fiduciary duty by Weinstein is similar to the analysis above under the claim of negligence. While the SJC has held that a physician owes a fiduciary duty towards a patient, the Court has not held that a consensual sexual relationship between a physician and a patient gives rise to a breach of that duty. See Alberts v. Devine, 395 Mass. 59, 69 (1985); see also Palermo, 41 Mass.App.Ct. at 509 n.10 (holding that no cause of action is recognized against a physician by a patient involved in a sexual relationship with the physician unless a therapist-patient relationship is present).

Other jurisdictions have also held that unless the non-psychiatrist physician insists on sexual intercourse as vital and necessary to treatment, a consensual sexual relationship does not give rise to a breach of the fiduciary duty. See Mindt v. Winchester, 948 P.2d 334, 335-36 (1997). In Mindt, plaintiff sought the help of a physician because plaintiff suffered from azoospermia, which is the absence of sperm in the seminal fluid.

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Related

Jerrie M. Simmons v. United States
805 F.2d 1363 (Ninth Circuit, 1986)
Mindt v. Winchester
948 P.2d 334 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1997)
Lantner v. Carson
373 N.E.2d 973 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1978)
Alberts v. Devine
479 N.E.2d 113 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1985)
Agis v. Howard Johnson Co.
355 N.E.2d 315 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1976)
Roe v. Federal Insurance
587 N.E.2d 214 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1992)
Kantrovitz v. Academy of Physical & Social Development Corp.
346 N.E.2d 910 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1976)
Palermo v. Brennan
672 N.E.2d 540 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1996)
Quinn v. Walsh
732 N.E.2d 330 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 2000)

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12 Mass. L. Rptr. 728, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/korper-v-weinstein-masssuperct-2000.