Pasalich v. Swanson

89 S.W.3d 555, 2002 Mo. App. LEXIS 2125, 2002 WL 31360653
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 22, 2002
DocketWD 60304
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 89 S.W.3d 555 (Pasalich v. Swanson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pasalich v. Swanson, 89 S.W.3d 555, 2002 Mo. App. LEXIS 2125, 2002 WL 31360653 (Mo. Ct. App. 2002).

Opinion

PATRICIA BRECKENRIDGE, Judge.

Eric Swanson, M.D., appeals the trial court’s order granting a new trial to Marianne Pasalich on her medical malpractice claim against him. First, Dr. Swanson claims that the trial court’s order granting a new trial should be presumed erroneous because the trial court failed to issue a written order setting forth the basis for its ruling. Second, Dr. Swanson claims that the trial court erred in granting a new trial on the basis of his failure to supplement his deposition testimony because Ms. Pasa-lich failed to make a timely and proper objection and failed to demonstrate unfair surprise or prejudice. Finally, Dr. Swanson claims that the trial court erred in granting a new trial on the basis of the court’s failure to give the “hammer instruction” in writing. This court finds that the trial court’s reasons for granting the new trial motion clearly appeared from the court’s oral statements in the record, so the presumption that the motion was erroneously granted was rebutted. Further, this court finds that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in granting a new trial on the basis of Dr. Swanson’s failure to supplement his deposition testimony to advise Ms. Pasalich of a change in his opinion as to what caused her injury. Therefore, the trial court’s order granting Ms. Pasa-lich a new trial is affirmed.

Factual and Procedural Background

On September 6, 1995, Dr. Swanson, a cosmetic surgeon, performed several procedures on Ms. Pasalich, including an ab-dominoplasty, which is commonly known as a “tummy tuck”; liposuction of the abdomen, flanks, thighs, buttocks, and hips; and removal of a mole on her upper lip. These procedures were performed on an outpatient basis in a surgical suite in Dr. Swanson’s office. During the surgery, Ms. Pasalich was given fluids to assist with the liposuction procedure and to maintain her fluid levels. After Ms. Pasalich was transferred to the recovery room, Dr. Swanson ordered that she be given more fluids because he believed Ms. Pasalich’s difficulty in waking up from the anesthesia, her elevated heart rate, and her low blood pressure were caused by a potential fluid insufficiency. When Ms. Pasalich’s condition did not improve after the administration of more fluids, Dr. Swanson ordered that she be transferred by ambulance to Shawnee Mission Medical Center.

At Shawnee Mission Medical Center, Dr. Robert Prosser diagnosed Ms. Pasalich with pulmonary edema due to fluid overload in her lungs. At that time, Dr. Swanson agreed with Dr. Prosser’s diagnosis and indicated in progress notes he pre *557 pared that Ms. Pasalich had suffered pulmonary edema due to fluid overload. Ms. Pasalich spent several days in the hospital.

After she was discharged from the hospital, Ms. Pasalich had follow-up visits with Dr. Swanson. At the end of October 1995, Dr. Swanson performed touch-up work on Ms. Pasalich to cut out an infection that had developed on her abdominoplasty incision, and to finish the liposuction procedure on one of her legs. Ms. Pasalich had more follow-up visits with Dr. Swanson until her last appointment on March 29, 1996.

In September 1997, Ms. Pasalich filed a petition against Dr. Swanson alleging medical malpractice. At trial, Ms. Pasalich presented three theories of negligence to the jury. First, she asserted Dr. Swanson was negligent for failing to inform her of the foreseeable risks associated with the procedures. Second, she asserted Dr. Swanson was negligent for performing an excessive amount of surgery on September 6, 1995. Third, she asserted Dr. Swanson was negligent in the way that he administered fluids to her. The jury returned a verdict for Dr. Swanson. Ms. Pasalich then filed a motion for new trial asserting several claims of error. After a hearing, the court granted the motion. Dr. Swanson filed this appeal.

Oral Statements Specifying Reasons for New Trial were Sufficient

In his first point, Dr. Swanson claims that the trial court erred in granting a new trial because it failed to issue a written order setting forth its reasons for granting the new trial. At the close of the hearing on Ms. Pasalich’s new trial motion, the trial court stated that it was granting the motion on two bases. First, the court stated it was ordering a new trial because Dr. Swanson “substantially and completely changed his opinion as to what caused the damage to [Ms. Pasalich] and appeared to have done it in the course of trial.” Second, the court stated that it was granting a new trial because the court gave the “hammer instruction” to the jury orally and did not submit it in writing. After explaining these reasons and the prejudice the court believed Ms. Pasalich suffered as a result, the court ended the hearing on the new trial motion by stating, “That’s going to be the order and ruling of the Court.” The court then made a docket-entry order granting a new trial. In the docket entry, the trial court did not state any grounds for its new trial order, but stated, “Court makes record on issues.”

Rule 78.03 provides that “[e]very order allowing a new trial shall specify of record the ground or grounds on which said new trial is granted.” When the trial court does not comply with Rule 78.03’s requirement to specify grounds for granting the new trial, Rule 84.05(c) applies. Rule 84.05(c) states:

When a trial court grants a new trial without specifying of record the ground or grounds on which the new trial is granted, the presumption shall be that the trial court erroneously granted the motion for new trial and the burden of supporting such action is placed on the respondent.

Dr. Swanson argues that the trial court’s oral recitation of its bases for granting a new trial was not sufficient to satisfy Rule 78.03 and, therefore, pursuant to Rule 84.05(c), this court should presume that the trial court erroneously granted Ms. Pasalich’s new trial motion.

This court has addressed whether we must presume that a trial court’s grant of a new trial was erroneous where the trial court stated the grounds orally rather than in writing. Like the trial court in this case, the trial court in Hightower v. High-tower, 590 S.W.2d 99, 100 (Mo.App.1979), *558 stated its reasons for granting a new trial at the close of the hearing on the motion for new trial. When the trial court later entered a formal written order sustaining the new trial motion, however, the court did not state any grounds in the order. Id. at 101.

On appeal, this court held that, although the trial court’s written order sustaining the motion for new trial did not set forth any grounds, Rule 84.05(c)’s 1 presumption that the new trial was erroneously granted was effectively rebutted because the grounds upon which the new trial motion was granted clearly appeared from the record. Id. at 103. This court recognized that while the trial court’s oral statements could not be used to impeach the written order, the court’s oral statements at the hearing on the motion could be considered to explain or support the order. Id. at 104.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Lisa J. Raley v. Hy-Vee, INC.
Missouri Court of Appeals, 2023
Holdeman v. Stratman
556 S.W.3d 46 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2018)
Care & Treatment of Kirk v. State
520 S.W.3d 443 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 2017)
McCrainey v. Kansas City Missouri School District
337 S.W.3d 746 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2011)
Wagner v. Mortgage Information Services, Inc.
261 S.W.3d 625 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2008)
Peters v. General Motors Corp.
200 S.W.3d 1 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2006)
Eagan v. Duello
173 S.W.3d 341 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2005)
Leo Journagan Construction Co. v. City Utilities of Springfield
116 S.W.3d 711 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2003)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
89 S.W.3d 555, 2002 Mo. App. LEXIS 2125, 2002 WL 31360653, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pasalich-v-swanson-moctapp-2002.