Marchal v. Webb

859 S.W.2d 408, 1993 Tex. App. LEXIS 1377, 1993 WL 153764
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 13, 1993
Docket01-92-00897-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by126 cases

This text of 859 S.W.2d 408 (Marchal v. Webb) 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
Marchal v. Webb, 859 S.W.2d 408, 1993 Tex. App. LEXIS 1377, 1993 WL 153764 (Tex. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

OPINION ON MOTION FOR REHEARING

DUNN, Justice.

The appellant, Diane M. Marchal has moved for rehearing. We withdraw our opinion of March 18, 1993 and substitute this opinion in its place. We deny the motion for rehearing and affirm the summary judgment granted in favor of John Q.A. Webb, Jr., M.D.

In her motion for rehearing, appellant reasserts the points of error raised in her appeal and further argues this Court erred with respect to our opinion on the issue of fraudulent concealment. In her appeal, the appellant argued the trial court erred because, as a matter of law, the statute had not run, and because the appellee failed to show there was no genuine issue of material fact concerning appellant’s allegations of fraudulent concealment and lack of discovery. The appellee replied that the trial court was correct because of the absolute, two-year statute of limitations in actions brought pursuant to 4590i of the Texas Revised Civil Statutes, and because the appellant waived her right to appeal the summary judgment on the grounds of fraudulent concealment and lack of discovery. With respect to the point of error related to fraudulent concealment and lack of discovery, the appellee also argues the appellant knew of her injury and failed to present evidence of a fact issue on fraudulent concealment.

On August 21, 1986, the appellant first saw the appellee for “problems with her eyes and eyesight” and to see if she was a possible candidate for radial keratotomy *411 (RK) surgery. During that visit, the appel-lee evaluated her for possible RK surgery.

The first RK surgery was performed on September 5, 1986, when the appellee made 16 cuts in each of the appellant’s eyes. The appellant returned to the appellee on September 10, 1986, December 19, 1986, and March 28, 1987. During this time, the appellant complained of pain and fluctuating vision at various times during the day.

On March 26, 1987, the appellant underwent a second RK surgery to correct the first surgery and to further correct her myopia. The appellant returned to the ap-pellee for examinations on April 3, 1987, April 23, 1987, July 27, 1987, August 1, 1988, November 11, 1988, December 5, 1988, December 6, 1988, April 21, 1989, and September 11, 1989. During this period, the appellant continued to experience pain and fluctuating vision. The appellant indicated that prior to the second surgery in March, she suspected the appellee had done something wrong. The appellant saw another doctor, Dr. Koonee, on April 3, 1989.

On August 24, 1990, the appellant wrote the following letter to the appellee.

Dear Dr. Webb,
This letter is long overdue. For the past three years I have wondered and questioned and wondered more why you destroyed my eyesight. I thought you were a brilliant man; I TRUSTED YOU!! I thought you were among God’s best & brightest!! And look what you did to me!!
—Right eye permanently set at 3:00 o’clock instead of straight ahead. It is ALWAYS in excruciating pain, tremendous pain so bad I’ve contemplated suicide several times, but haven’t just because I didn’t want to do that to my husband.
—Fluctuating vision all the time
—25 to 30 “stabbing pains” in left eye each day, like a strong jolt
—no night vision, cannot see in dimly lit places
—never see right, always feel disoriented & half crazy
—eyes feel like they re separating, coming apart, “caving in” all the time, always hurting
It takes 99% of my effort each day just to deal with my eyes; I can barely function, work, reason or do anything. My business is suffering because of it.
I’ve been to the Univ. of Houston, Mann Eye Clinic, Houston Eye Surgery, Houston Eye Associates, other eye specialists & now a neurologist to deal with the_ & the pain, No one can help me; how could you do this to me?!!
I don’t even want to get out of bed in the morning; I just want to die. You have WRECKED my life; how could you do this to an innocent human being? How YOU HAVE BUTCHERED my eyes & wrecked my life.
Diane M. Marchal

Pursuant to 4590i, the appellant gave notice of her claim on August 16, 1990, and filed suit on May 5, 1991. Her petition alleges negligence and fraudulent misrepresentations to conceal the appellee’s wrongdoing, and seeks actual and punitive damages.

The appellee moved for summary judgment on April 8, 1992, arguing the absolute, two-year statute of limitations ran from the date of the second surgery and had expired. The appellee also argued in his motion that the appellant’s allegations were groundless inasmuch as the evidence showed the appellant was aware of an injury as early as September and October 1986. The appellee further argued the evidence showed that, at least by April 3, 1989, when she saw Dr. Koonee, the. appellant was aware of her injuries.

In response to the allegations of negligence, the appellee attached his affidavit denying each and every claim. The appellant’s reply primarily focused on the discrepancies between the appellee’s affidavit and other evidence, including his deposition testimony on the issue of negligence. Beyond incorporating her live pleading into her reply, the appellant’s reply does not address the issue of fraudulent concealment. The appellant’s only response to the limitations defense raised by the appellee is *412 an argument that what was at issue was a course of treatment.

The appellant’s supplemental reply attached the affidavit of Dr. Douglas D. Koch, raising fact issues regarding the ap-pellee’s negligence, causation, and damages. The appellee responded by attacking Dr. Koch’s affidavit as incompetent summary judgment evidence because of the appellant’s failure to timely designate Dr. Koch as an expert. The court granted summary judgment on July 13, 1992. Standard of Review

Either party may move for summary judgment under rule 166a of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. The movant has the burden of showing that there is no genuine issue of material fact and that it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Nixon v. Mr. Property Management Co., 690 S.W.2d 546, 548-49 (Tex.1985). In deciding whether there is a disputed material fact issue precluding summary judgment, evidence favorable to the nonmovant will be taken as true. Id. Every reasonable inference must be indulged in favor of the nonmovant and any doubts resolved in its favor. Id.

Once a movant has established a right to a summary judgment, the burden shifts to the nonmovant. City of Houston v. Clear Creek Basin Auth., 589 S.W.2d 671, 678 (Tex.1979).

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Bluebook (online)
859 S.W.2d 408, 1993 Tex. App. LEXIS 1377, 1993 WL 153764, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/marchal-v-webb-texapp-1993.