Morgan v. Sheppard

188 N.E.2d 808, 91 Ohio Law. Abs. 579, 1963 Ohio App. LEXIS 915
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 7, 1963
DocketNo. 26076
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 188 N.E.2d 808 (Morgan v. Sheppard) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Morgan v. Sheppard, 188 N.E.2d 808, 91 Ohio Law. Abs. 579, 1963 Ohio App. LEXIS 915 (Ohio Ct. App. 1963).

Opinion

Corrigan, J.

This cause is before the court on an appeal on questions of law from a jury verdict and judgment entered thereon in the Common Pleas Court of Cuyahoga County in the amount of $50,000.00 against a defendant, Dr. Stephen A. Sheppard, for wrongful death in a malpractice action. The plaintiff’s case went to the jury against Dr. Stephen A. Sheppard and two other defendants, Dr. Richard N. Sheppard and Bay View [581]*581Hospital (Cleveland Osteopathic Hospital), and the verdict of the jury was in favor of each of the other two defendants.

A companion case for pain and suffering of the plaintiff’s decedent was tried at the same time against the same three defendants and resulted in verdicts for all defendants.

It seems advisable to set out at some length excerpts from the evidence that was before the jury as reflected by the voluminous record of 2260 pages and numerous exhibits. On June 12, 1956, plaintiff’s decedent, Harold W. Morgan, a 40 year old male, married, with three children, consulted Dr. Urwin W. Hampton, an osteopath, at the latter’s office in Berea, Ohio. Mr. Morgan complained of pain in his right mid chest and under the right lower ribs and further complained of trouble with his stomach for three or four years. Mr. Morgan stated to Dr. Hampton that three years before he had X-rays taken at Southwest Community Hospital in Berea, with diagnosis of an ulcer and was treated as an ulcer patient and that he got better; that the present pain did not seem the same and that it was not relieved by milk or food; that the pain was light and dull in nature and had lasted constantly for the past ten days; that he had trouble with greasy-food digestion; and that he had bowel trouble all of his life, but that he did not take cathartics regularly.

The hospital records of plaintiff’s decedent covering this earlier treatment at Southwest Community Hospital in Berea (plaintiff’s Exhibit 6 and defendant’s Exhibit A), show that he was admitted to that institution on May 7, 1953, at 5:12 P. M. and discharged on May 8,1953, at 11:00 A. M. Dr. Kechele was the attending physician. The diagnosis after X-rays were taken was that plaintiff’s decedent had a duodenal ulcer and conservative therapy was ordered.

Dr. Hampton did not check this hospital record in Berea. He gave Mr. Morgan advice and manipulative treatment to the tense and painful areas on the supposition that the pain was not the same pain that he had experienced before when he was an ulcer patient. He did not have X-rays taken. Dr. Hampton did not prescribe any definite medication for Mr. Morgan but asked him to retain the same type of diet and medication that he used when he was under treatment for the ulcer to see whether [582]*582it -would give him relief. Dr. Hampton did not know wbat was causing tbe pain, and he did not ascertain what medication Mr. Morgan had been on when he had had the ulcer in 1953. Mr. Morgan next consulted Dr. Hampton on June 28, 1956, and was again given manipulative treatment. The next visit was on July 5, 1956, and Dr. Hampton gave him no treatment at that time but noted that he was no better and told Mr. Morgan to go to a specialist for further evaluation and study. He suggested that Mr. Morgan go to any specialist he wished, but to go to Bay View Hospital for X-rays, that he would be admitted there under the supervision of Dr. Stephen Sheppard, and that Dr. Stephen Sheppard would handle the case on his referral. Dr. Hampton called Dr. Stephen Sheppard and told him that Mr. Morgan would be going to Bay View Hospital. Dr. Stephen Sheppard is an osteopathic physican and surgeon.

The Bay View Hospital record indicates that Mr. Morgan was admitted there on July 5,1956, at 2 -.00 P. M. The admitting diagnosis was “peptic ulcer — prob. Duodenal cap.” A “G. I. series” of X-rays was ordered and taken by Dr. G. C. Flick of the Bay View Hospital staff, and his X-ray report, dated July 6, 1956, states in part:

Nine Post Prandial Films show a deformity of the second portion of the duodenum superiorly which represents either an adhesion or diverticulum.”

On July 7, 1956, the X-rays were reviewed by Dr. W. B. Selnick of the Bay View Hospital staff, and his opinion as noted in Physicians Findings and Progress Notes of the Bay View Hospital record was:

“1. Diverticulum or adhesive pull on duodenum.”

Dr.- Stephen Sheppard talked with Dr. Hampton on the third or fourth day after Mr. Morgan had been admitted to the hospital and told him that they had evaluated a diagnosis to a certain point and that there was an ulcer of the duodenum. The diagnostic studies of Mr. Morgan were made by Dr. Stephen Sheppard. Dr. Stephen Sheppard saw Mr. Morgan on July 9, 1956, at 10.00 A. M. At that time, Dr. Stephen Sheppard reviewed the X-rays and discussed the case with Mr. Morgan. He also conferred, with Dr. Richard N. Sheppard and with the radiologist. The radiologist did not use the word “ulcer” any[583]*583where in interpreting the X-rays, and Dr. Stephen Sheppard disagreed with the findings of the radiologist that the X-rays indicated a diverticnlnm or adhesions and was of the opinion that Mr. Morgan had a penetrating duodenal ulcer. Dr. Stephen Sheppard recommended that a partial gastrectomy be performed. Mr. Morgan was advised that Dr. Richard Sheppard would do the surgery since he was doing more of that kind of work. However, Dr. Stephen Sheppard had written most of the pre-operative orders.

The operation, a partial gastrectomy and jejunostomy, was performed on July 10, 1956, at 1:00 P. M. by Dr. Richard Sheppard, and the duodenal stump was permitted to remain. Dr. Richard Sheppard estimated that he removed fifty to sixty per cent of the stomach but that he did not remove all of the acid-secreting portion, although enough was removed to reduce the acid fifty per cent. At 8:30 P. M., a Levin tube was inserted through the nose to drain the stomach. The portion of the stomach removed by Dr. Richard Sheppard was sent for a pathological test and no evidence of an ulcer was found. The laboratory report from the Department of Pathology of Bay View Hospital, dated July 14, 1956, reads:

“Gross Specimen consisted of a section of stomach which measured 9x9x3 cm. and showed some degeneration in the lower portion. No definite ulcer was noted.

“Microscopic: This section of stomach tissue showed albuminous degeneration with swelling of the cells. There was some inflammatory cell infiltration, but no other noteworthy pathological change.

“Diagnosis: Acute gastritis.”

On July 11,1956, the day following the operation, Dr. Richard Sheppard made the following entry in the Physicians Findings and Progress Notes:

“P. O. diag. Penetrating duodenal cap ulcer. Partial gastrectomy and gastric jejunostomy done. Pt. cond. good.

R. N. Sheppard D. 0.”

No tests were performed to determine the acidity of Mr. Morgan’s stomach prior to the operation. Dr. Richard Sheppard testified that he and Dr. Stephen Sheppard worked very closely together and that arrangements were made about look[584]*584ing after Mr. Morgan when Dr. Richard Sheppard would be out of the hospital. Mr. Morgan was placed in the care of Dr. Stephen Sheppard after the operation from July 11, 1956, until July 13, 1956, because Dr. Richard Sheppard was in Columbus. Dr.

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Bluebook (online)
188 N.E.2d 808, 91 Ohio Law. Abs. 579, 1963 Ohio App. LEXIS 915, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/morgan-v-sheppard-ohioctapp-1963.