Lewis v. Geisinger Medical Center

43 Pa. D. & C.2d 105, 1967 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 186
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Montour County
DecidedAugust 8, 1967
Docketno. 72
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 43 Pa. D. & C.2d 105 (Lewis v. Geisinger Medical Center) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Montour County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lewis v. Geisinger Medical Center, 43 Pa. D. & C.2d 105, 1967 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 186 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1967).

Opinion

Kreisher, P. J.,

On April 19, 1962, a summons in trespass was issued in the above-captioned case, and on November 5, 1962, the complaint was filed. On November 14th, defendants filed preliminary objections to the complaint, and on November 27th, plaintiffs filed an amended complaint.

On December 31st, defendants filed interrogatories and on January 10, 1963, plaintiffs filed objections to some of said interrogatories. On January 19th, an[106]*106swers to said interrogatories not objected to were filed.

On February 13th, counsel for defendant hospital filed a motion to dismiss, alleging the “charitable immunity” doctrine.

On February 16th, plaintiff filed interrogatories addressed to defendant drug company, and on March 21st, answers thereto were filed.

On March 22nd, plaintiffs filed a motion to strike the said motion filed on behalf of said hospital. The court issued a rule, making the same returnable to April 18th, to show cause why the motion should not be granted.

On March 28th, the court filed an opinion and order of court disposing of plaintiffs’ objections to said interrogatories.

On April 10th, plaintiffs filed interrogatories addressed to defendant doctors, and on April 15th, counsel for defendant hospital filed an answer to plaintiffs’ motion to strike defendants’ motion to dismiss.

On April 23rd, defendant doctors filed their answers to said. interrogatories, and on July 23, 1963, lengthy depositions of defendant doctors were taken and later transcribed.

On May 19, 1964, lengthy depositions of plaintiff wife were taken, and on June 8th and June 11th, the deposition of Dr. E. P. Swartz and Dr. S. E. Rynes were taken on behalf of defendants.

On August 27, 1965, the court filed an opinion and order dismissing the motion filed on behalf of defendant hospital to dismiss.

On September 15th, defendant doctors and defendant hospital filed an answer to the amended complaint, and defendant hospital, under the heading “New Matter”, pleaded the defense of charitable immunity.

On September 24th, counsel for plaintiffs filed an [107]*107answer to the said new matter denying application of said doctrine in this case.

On October 13, 1966, counsel for defendant drug company filed a motion for summary judgment, and on October 15th, plaintiffs filed requests for admissions under Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 4014, as amended.

On October 24th, counsel for defendant drug company filed requests for admissions under said rule, and an answer to plaintiffs’ requests for admissions.

On October 25th, plaintiffs’ counsel filed an answer to said drug company’s motion for summary judgment. Said matter was ruled for argument, and is now before the court for disposition.

The amended complaint alleges that the wife plaintiff was admitted to defendant hospital on February 11,1960, as a paying patient, for the purpose of being treated primarily for bronchial asthma.

She remained there as an in-patient under the care of Dr. Raymond J. Wiss until February 29th, when she was placed on a regime of drugs and diet and placed on an out-patient status. On a return visit during the latter part of April, following an interview with F. W. Davison, M. D., of the hospital staff, she was given a renewable prescription and directions for the use of the drug Chloromycetin, manufactured and marketed by defendant drug company.

Sometime during the month of May 1960, and con-, tinuing thereafter, she suffered “rashes, purpura, easy bruising of the skin and petechiae over her lower extremities and other symptoms related to a grievous blood disorder including pancytopenia, thrombocytopenia and aplastic anemia”.

Paragraph Eight alleges the proximate cause of the said blood disorder to be the negligent prescription and administration of the drug by the doctors and their principal, the hospital.

[108]*108Paragraph Nine alleges the proximate cause of said condition to be a breach by the drug company of the express or implied warranties that the said drug was fit for human consumption.

Paragraph Ten alleges that the proximate cause of said condition is the failure of the said drug company adequately to inform the medical profession, institutions and pharmacies of the dangers involved in the use of said drug.

The said requests for admissions under Pa. R. C. P. 4014, as amended, on behalf of plaintiffs and defendant drug company relate exclusively to plaintiff’s physical condition both before and after the alleged cause of action arose; therefore, said requested admissions are not relevant to the question of law now before the court for summary judgment, as authorized under Pa. R. C. P. 1035, which provides, inter alia, as follows:

“(A) After the pleadings are closed, but within such time as not to delay trial, any party may move for summary judgment on the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, admissions on file and supporting affidavits, if any.
“(B) The adverse party, prior to the day of hearing, may serve opposing affidavits. The judgment sought shall be rendered if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. A summary judgment, interlocutory in character, may be rendered on the issues of liability alone although there is a genuine issue as to the amount of damages”.

Said motion for summary judgment reads as follows:

[109]*109“Pursuant to Pa. R. C. P. 1035, the defendant, Parke, Davis & Company, by its attorneys, E. Robert Marks and Laurence H. Eldredge, moves for summary judgment in favor of said defendant.
“The following reasons are assigned in support of this motion:
“1. The thrust of the plaintiffs’ claim against Parke, Davis & Company is set forth in Paragraph Ten of the Amended Complaint and complains of said defendant’s failure to give adequate warning of the possible side effects in using Chloromycetin and of the precautions to be taken in its use.
“2. The following facts are contained in the Answers of Parke, Davis & Company to plaintiffs’ interrogatories : ‘Chloromycetin was made generally available for use by or upon the prescription of members of the medical profession, including those affiliated with hospitals or clinics on or about March 25, 1949. It has never been made available for use by the general public’ (No. 5). The chemical name for Chloromycetin is chloramphenicol (No. 1). ‘The Food and Drug Administration of the Federal Security Agency conducted a survey in 1952 (of chloramphenicol) and the data collected were referred to the National Research Council’ (12a). ‘Letters were sent to physicians on July 7, 1952, and August 12, 1952, alerting them to the reported association between the use of chloramphenicol and the occurrence of blood dyscrasias. A copy of the August 12 letter was also sent to pharmacists.

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Bluebook (online)
43 Pa. D. & C.2d 105, 1967 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 186, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lewis-v-geisinger-medical-center-pactcomplmontou-1967.