Muniz v. Garner

921 F. Supp. 700, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4672, 1996 WL 173013
CourtDistrict Court, D. Colorado
DecidedApril 10, 1996
DocketCivil Action No. 95-B-292
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 921 F. Supp. 700 (Muniz v. Garner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Muniz v. Garner, 921 F. Supp. 700, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4672, 1996 WL 173013 (D. Colo. 1996).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

BABCOCK, District Judge.

This medical malpractice action is brought by Sofia Muniz on behalf of herself and as next friend of her son Izaac Muniz for injuries sustained by Izaac from a premature birth. Ms. Muniz was cared for by defendant Gary M. Gamer, M.D. (Garner) at the Poudre Valley Hospital (PVH) operated by Poudre Valley Hospital District (PVHD). On May 1, 1994, PVH became Poudre Valley Health Care (PVHC), Inc., d/b/a Fort Collins Family Medicine Center, d/b/a Family Medicine Center, a private institution.

Defendants move for partial summary judgment asserting that the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act (Immunity Act or Act), C.R.S. § 24-10-102, applies to this action. PVHC contends that it is entitled to claim governmental immunity because at the time the injury is alleged to have occurred, its predecessor in interest was a public enti[702]*702ty. Defendants also move to dismiss this action for lack of jurisdiction pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(1) for failure to comply with C.R.S. § 24-10-109.

The motions are fully briefed and heard. I hold that the Immunity Act is applicable to this case. Consequently, I grant the motion for partial summary judgment. For the reasons set forth in this order, I grant the motion to dismiss as to Sofia Muniz but deny it as to Izaac Muniz.

I.

The following facts are not genuinely disputed. In 1992, Ms. Muniz visited PVH and learned she was four months pregnant. She received her prenatal care at PVH and was frequently seen by Dr. Gamer. On February 5, 1993, Ms. Muniz appeared at PVH for a regular prenatal visit. Based on statements made by Ms. Muniz during the examination, Dr. Gamer determined she was experiencing Braxton-Hick’s contractions. Dr. Gamer explained this to Ms. Muniz and sent her home. Later that evening Ms. Muniz presented at PVH after four hours of labor, contractions five minutes apart and fully dilated. Shortly thereafter, Izaac Muniz was delivered by Caesarean section. Plaintiffs claim that because of Dr. Gamer’s negligent mis-diagnosis, Izaac was born prematurely causing neurologic and respiratory disorders.

At the time Izaac was delivered, PVH was a public entity. Dr. Garner was a physician in training in the PVH family practice residency program. On May 1, .1994, PVH became a private entity to enable it to compete for managed health care contracts and services.

Plaintiffs filed this action on February 3, 1995. Jurisdiction is based on diversity. Defendants raised the defense of governmental immunity in their answer.

II.

Summary judgment shall enter where there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). If a movant establishes entitlement to judgment as a matter of law given uncontroverted, operative facts contained in the documentary evidence, summary judgment will lie. Mares v. ConAgra Poultry Co., Inc., 971 F.2d 492, 494 (10th Cir.1992). The operative inquiry is whether, based on all the documents submitted, a reasonable trier of fact could find by a preponderance of evidence that the plaintiff is entitled to a verdict. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 250, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2511, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986); Mares, 971 F.2d at 494. Summary judgment should not enter if, viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to the nonmoving party and drawing all reasonable inferences in that party’s favor, a reasonable jury could return a verdict for that party. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 252, 106 S.Ct. at 2512; Mares, 971 F.2d at 494.

III.

Defendants contend that the Immunity Act is applicable to this action because the alleged injury occurred at the hands of a public employee working for a public hospital. Plaintiffs, however, argue that defendants are not subject to the Immunity Act because PVHC is now a private entity not entitled to the protections afforded by the Immunity Act. This case presents a matter of first impression regarding the application of the Immunity Act to an action against what is now a private hospital by a plaintiff treated at a public hospital by a public employee when the alleged negligent acts causing injury occurred.

The policy underlying the Immunity Act is set forth in C.R.S. § 24-10-102:

The general assembly also recognizes that the state and its political subdivisions provide essential public services and functions and that unlimited liability could disrupt or make prohibitively expensive the provision of such essential public services and functions. The general assembly further recognizes that the taxpayers would ultimately bear the fiscal burdens of unlimited liability and that limitations on the liability of public entities and public employees are necessary in order to protect the taxpayers against excessive fiscal burdens. * * * It is further recognized that the state, its political subdivisions, and the public em[703]*703ployees of such public entities, by virtue of the services and functions provided, the powers exercised, and the consequences of unlimited liability to the governmental process, should be hable for their actions and those of their agents only to such an extent and subject to such conditions as are provided by this article.

The Immunity Act shields government entities and employees of those entities from suit as provided in the Act. It is undisputed that at the time of the alleged negligence, FVH, now PVHC, was a public hospital and Dr. Gamer was a public employee. The question is whether the immunity afforded by the Act applies as of the time of the alleged negligence or as of the time the lawsuit was filed.

The Immunity Act is silent as to whether, under the circumstances here, protection is afforded by the Act. Indeed, the facts in this case are sufficiently unique that it is probable the General Assembly never considered them when the Act was passed. Under Colorado law, when a statute is silent it “should be construed to effectuate the General Assembly’s intent and the beneficial purpose of the legislative measure.” In the Matter of Estate of Royal, 826 P.2d 1236, 1238 (Colo.1992).

The purpose of the Immunity Act is to protect the public coffer from unlimited liability arising from tortious conduct of a public entity or the employee of a public entity and provide a level of financial certainty. The Colorado General Assembly through the Immunity Act acknowledges that there are a vast number of public services and functions performed by government entities and their employees which if subject to unlimited liability would make such activities prohibitively expensive and potentially bar their availability through the public sector. C.R.S. § 24-10-102. The certainty sought to be achieved by the Act is indicative of a legislative intent that its benefits attach as of the date of the alleged negligence.

Immunity for tortious acts arising from the operation of public hospitals is partially waived under § 24-10-106(b).

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Bluebook (online)
921 F. Supp. 700, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4672, 1996 WL 173013, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/muniz-v-garner-cod-1996.