Leslie Broderick v. Universal Health Services, Inc.

CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 18, 2018
Docket05-16-01379-CV
StatusPublished

This text of Leslie Broderick v. Universal Health Services, Inc. (Leslie Broderick v. Universal Health Services, Inc.) 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
Leslie Broderick v. Universal Health Services, Inc., (Tex. Ct. App. 2018).

Opinion

AFFIRM; and Opinion Filed April 18, 2018.

In The Court of Appeals Fifth District of Texas at Dallas No. 05-16-01379-CV

LESLIE BRODERICK, Appellant V. UNIVERSAL HEALTH SERVICES, INC., UHS OF DELAWARE, INC., HICKORY TRAIL HOSIPTAL, L.P., AND RAJINDER SHIWACH, Appellees

On Appeal from the 134th Judicial District Court Dallas County, Texas Trial Court Cause No. DC-16-07673

MEMORANDUM OPINION Before Justices Lang, Fillmore, and Schenck Opinion by Justice Fillmore Leslie Broderick was a patient at Hickory Trail Hospital, L.P. (Hickory Trail) from April

17, 2014, through May 16, 2014. On June 23, 2016, Broderick sued Universal Health Services,

Inc. (UHS), UHS of Delaware, Inc. (UHSD), Hickory Trail, and Dr. Rajinder Shiwach, alleging

she was raped in May 2014 by Shiwach and other employees of UHS, UHSD, or Hickory Trail.

The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of appellees, finding Broderick’s claims were

barred by the two-year statute of limitations applicable to health care liability claims and her pre-

suit notice and authorization form were ineffective to toll the running of limitations. See TEX. CIV.

PRAC. & REM. CODE ANN. §§ 74.251(a), 051–.052 (West 2017 & Supp. 2017).1

1 Section 74.052 was amended by the legislature effective June 19, 2017. See Act of May 24, 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., 2017 Tex. Gen. Laws 1336, 1336–39. Because the amendments do not affect our analysis in this case, we will refer to the codified statute for convenience. In two issues, Broderick argues the trial court erred by granting summary judgment because

(1) there is a genuine issue of material fact regarding whether the limitations period was tolled,

and (2) if limitations was not tolled, the application of the statute of limitations to her claims

conflicts with her rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act, see 42 U.S.C.A. §§ 12101–

12213 (West 2013) (the ADA), and to equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment of the

United States Constitution, see U.S. CONST. amend XIV. We affirm the trial court’s judgment.

Background

Broderick was involuntarily committed to Hickory Trail on April 17, 2014, and was

administered psychotropic medications pursuant to a May 7, 2014 court order. Broderick was

discharged from Hickory Trail on May 16, 2014.

Health care liability claims are governed by the procedures in chapter 74 of the civil

practice and remedies code. Jose Carreras, M.D., P.A. v. Marroquin, 339 S.W.3d 68, 69 (Tex.

2011). One of these is the requirement that, at least sixty days before filing suit, a claimant give a

defendant pre-suit notice of the claim. Id. § 74.051(a). The notice must be accompanied by an

“authorization form for release of protected health information as required” under section 74.052

of the civil practice and remedies code. Id. If the claimant gives notice “as provided in this

chapter,” the statute of limitations is tolled “to and including a period of 75 days following the

giving of the notice[.]” Id. § 74.051(c); see also Carreras, 339 S.W.3d at 74 (“[F]or the statute of

limitations to be tolled in a health care liability claim pursuant to Chapter 74, a plaintiff must

provide both the statutorily required notice and the statutorily required authorization form.”).

On April 15, 2016, David L. Sheller, Broderick’s attorney, sent a letter to UHS, UHSD,

and Hickory Trail providing written notification “[p]ursuant to Texas Civil Practice and Remedies

Code §74.051” that Broderick had “a health care liability claim related to the health care rendered

to her beginning on or about April 17, 2014 with her false imprisonment.” Sheller represented that

–2– Broderick was “raped by staff members in or about May 2014 . . . while being under your care at

Hickory Trail.” Sheller indicated an authorization form for the “release of protected health

information pursuant to CPRC §74.052” was attached to the notice letter. However, the attached

Authorization to Disclose Protected Health Information was a form developed for compliance with

section 181.154(d) of the health and safety code, part of the Texas Medical Records Privacy Act2

promulgated in accordance with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

(HIPAA).3 The form, which was signed by Broderick on April 15, 2016, authorized Hickory Trail

to release information to Sheller for “legal purposes.”

On June 23, 2016, Broderick filed her original petition asserting claims against appellees.4

Broderick filed a first amended petition on July 13, 2016, alleging she was “gang raped” by

Shiwach and other individuals in May 2014 while she was a patient at Hickory Trail. She asserted

claims against UHS, UHSD, and Hickory Trail based on negligent hiring, understaffing, failing to

provide adequate security, failing to perform background checks, and negligent retention.

Appellees moved for summary judgment on the ground limitations began to run on

Broderick’s claims in May 2014, she did not file suit until June 23, 2016, and her claims were

barred by the two-year limitations period in section 74.251 of the civil practice and remedies code.

Appellees also asserted the authorization form provided by Broderick on April 15, 2016, failed to

comply with section 74.052 of the civil practice and remedies code and, therefore, did not toll the

2 See TEX. HEALTH & SAFETY CODE ANN. §§ 181.001–.207 (West 2017). 3 See 42 U.S.C.A. §§ 1320d–1320d-9 (West 2012). 4 Broderick also sued “John Doe,” “Chica aka John Doe,” and “Defendant aka John Doe a woman,” who were all described as employees or managers of UHS, UHSD, or Hickory Trail. The record does not reflect that Broderick requested citation be issued or served on any of these individuals, and none of them appeared in this case. The trial court’s summary judgment order does not mention these individuals, but states it is a “final judgment disposing of all parties and all claims,” and that it was the trial court’s intention “to completely dispose of the entire case.” Under these circumstances, we conclude the trial court’s summary judgment order was a final judgment for purposes of appeal. See M.O. Dental Lab v. Rape, 139 S.W.3d 671, 674–75 (Tex. 2004) (summary judgment that failed to address claims against all named defendants was final when record affirmatively showed plaintiff never intended to serve remaining defendant, did not request citation be issued for that defendant, and appealed judgment without indicating it was not final because she intended to serve remaining defendant); Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Penn, 363 S.W.2d 230, 232 (Tex. 1962) (summary judgment expressly disposing of all named parties other than party that record reflected was not served, did not answer, and plaintiff did not expect to obtain service upon stood “as if there had been a discontinuance” as to that party, and judgment was regarded as final for purposes of appeal).

–3– running of limitations. As summary judgment evidence, appellees relied on the April 15, 2016

notice letter; the authorization form signed by Broderick; and a blank form titled Authorization

Form for Release of Protected Health Information that illustrated the information required by

section 74.052.

Broderick responded to the motions for summary judgment, arguing (1) there was a

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