Pages-Ramirez v. Hospital Español Auxilio Mutuo De Puerto Rico, Inc.

547 F. Supp. 2d 141, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54459, 2008 WL 1213051
CourtDistrict Court, D. Puerto Rico
DecidedApril 7, 2008
DocketCivil 07-1407 (JP)
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 547 F. Supp. 2d 141 (Pages-Ramirez v. Hospital Español Auxilio Mutuo De Puerto Rico, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Puerto Rico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pages-Ramirez v. Hospital Español Auxilio Mutuo De Puerto Rico, Inc., 547 F. Supp. 2d 141, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54459, 2008 WL 1213051 (prd 2008).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

JAIME PIERAS, JR., Senior District Judge.

Before the Court is a motion for summary judgment (No. 52) filed by Defendant Hospital Español Auxilio Mutuo (“HEAM”) and its insurer, Admiral Insurance Company (“Admiral”). Also before the Court is Plaintiffs’ opposition thereto (No. 54). Plaintiffs Dilma Pagés-Ramírez (“Pagés”), Michael Pietri-Pozzi (“Pietri”), the conjugal partnership between them, and their child Giovanni Pietri-Pagés (“Giovanni”) (collectively, “Plaintiffs”), brought the instant action alleging medical malpractice against Defendants HEAM, Admiral, Dr. Antonio Ramirez-Gonzalez (“Ramírez”), and Insurers Syndicate for the Joint Underwriting of Medical-Hospital Professional Liability Insurance (“SIMED”), pursuant to P.R. Laws Ann. tit. 31, Sections 5141-5142, and P.R. Laws. Ann. tit. 26, Section 2003, for the injuries sustained by Giovanni during his birth.

Defendants HEAM and Admiral move the Court for summary judgment on the grounds that a hospital cannot be held liable for the alleged malpractice of its nursing staff when the nurses are simply following the orders of a physician. Defendants also argue that a hospital cannot be held liable for the alleged malpractice of a private physician who merely has privileges at said hospital. For the reasons stated here, Defendants’ motion (No. 52) is DENIED. 1

I. FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS

On May 19, 2005, Plaintiff Pagés, age thirty-three, arrived at Defendant HEAM at her thirty-sixth week of pregnancy to deliver her baby, Plaintiff Giovanni. Defendant Ramirez was the physician in charge of Plaintiff Pagés’ care during pregnancy, and he was the attending physician at the birth. During the delivery, Plaintiffs allege that Giovanni suffered or acquired profound multi-organ damage, respiratory failure, sepsis, asphyxia, and seizures. Due to the alleged negligence of Defendants during Plaintiff Pagés’ pre-na-tal care and delivery, Plaintiff Giovanni was born with severe birth defects including cerebral palsy. Plaintiff Giovanni remained hospitalized at HEAM until August 5, 2005, when he was transferred to San Jorge Children’s Hospital to continue treatment.

Plaintiffs make numerous claims that Defendants departed from medical standards, including 1) failing to record measurements of the uterine fundus throughout the birth, 2) failing to elicit a comprehensive obstetrical history from a high risk patient, 3) failing to estimate the fetal weight and to enter same in the delivery record, 4) proceeding with labor and delivery with incomplete prenatal record, 5) attempting a mid-pelvic delivery by vacuum extraction, especially where the heart monitor showed a problematic pattern, 6) failing to place an internal fetal heart monitor, 7) failing to monitor the baby’s heart rate, 8) failing to timely call for a Cesarean-section delivery, 9) failing to timely per *145 form a Cesarean-section delivery, and 10) failing to timely diagnose and treat the baby’s fetal distress.

Plaintiffs allege that, as a result of Defendants’ departures from medical standards, Plaintiff Giovanni is catastrophically injured, with severe brain damage and physical abnormalities that are permanent and incapacitating. This has caused Plaintiffs Pagés and Pietri to suffer emotional anguish. Due to Plaintiffs’ limited economic resources, Plaintiff Giovanni allegedly has not been able to receive sufficient quality medical care or therapy.

Defendant HEAM claims that it complied with the generally accepted standards for hospital care and that Plaintiffs received the degree of care that a reasonable and prudent person should provide. HEAM alleges that its personnel did not breach their duty or engage in any omission that could be considered as the cause of damages allegedly suffered by Plaintiffs. Defendants further claim that Plaintiffs have not provided enough evidence to overcome the heavy burden of the presumption of appropriate medical attention.

II.MATERIAL FACTS NOT IN GENUINE ISSUE OR DISPUTE:

The following facts were agreed upon by the parties at the Initial Scheduling Conference held before the Court on September 14, 2007:

1. Plaintiffs Pagés and Pietri are the parents of Plaintiff Giovanni.
2. Defendant HEAM is a Puerto Rico corporation, with its principal place of business in Puerto Rico. It owns and operates a hospital of the same name located in San Juan.
3. Defendant Ramirez is a medical doctor, married to co-defendant Jane Doe. Ramirez intervened in the prenatal care and labor and delivery of Plaintiff Pagés and her son Giovanni. Ramírez and his wife are residents of Puerto Rico.
4. Defendant Ramirez was Plaintiff Pagés’ obstetrician for her pregnancy with Giovanni.
5. Plaintiff Pagés received pre-natal care through her private physician, Defendant Ramirez.
6. At all times relevant to this case, Defendant Ramirez was a duly licensed physician with a specialty in obstetrics and gynecology, authorized to practice medicine in Puerto Rico, who had privileges to practice obstetrics and gynecology at HEAM.
7. At all times relevant to this case, Defendant Ramirez had a medical malpractice policy number PRM-10714 (March 2, 2007 to March 2, 2008, retroactive March 2, 2001), issued by SIMED, with limits of $100,000.00. Said policy is subject to its own terms, limits, conditions and restrictions.
8. By October 22, 2004, Plaintiff Pagés, then thirty-three years old, visited Defendant Ramirez’s office for a prenatal evaluation. She was six weeks pregnant at the time.
9. Plaintiff Pagés referred a history of four pregnancies and one previous abortion to Ramirez.
10. Plaintiff Pagés was instructed to return for follow-up in three weeks.
11. Her estimated due date was set for June 13, 2005.
12. Plaintiff Pagés visited Defendant Ramirez to receive a pre-natal check-up on December 17, 2004.
13. Plaintiff Pagés made subsequent visits to Defendant Ramirez on February 9, March 14, March 18, April 22 and May 12, 2005. On her *146 May 12, 2005 visit, Plaintiff Pagés was said to be thirty-five weeks pregnant. Her expected due date was changed to June 1, 2005.
14. Plaintiff Pagés arrived at HEAM on May 19, 2005, at 2:09 p.m., in active labor, with a diagnosis of intrauterine pregnancy at thirty-six weeks of gestation.
15. Laboratory work was performed upon Plaintiff Pagés’ admission to HEAM.
16. Also on May 19, 2005, at 3:00 p.m., Plaintiff Pagés was admitted to the labor room. On vaginal examination, the cervix was ninety percent effaced and six centimeters dilated with the vertex at the negative two station. Plaintiff Pagés’ blood pressure was 110/70 and her contractions were every six minutes.
17.

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547 F. Supp. 2d 141, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54459, 2008 WL 1213051, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pages-ramirez-v-hospital-espanol-auxilio-mutuo-de-puerto-rico-inc-prd-2008.