Rogers v. Mercy Health Center, Inc.

2014 OK CIV APP 69, 334 P.3d 426, 2014 WL 4072004, 2014 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 45
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedApril 18, 2014
DocketNo. 110296
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 2014 OK CIV APP 69 (Rogers v. Mercy Health Center, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rogers v. Mercy Health Center, Inc., 2014 OK CIV APP 69, 334 P.3d 426, 2014 WL 4072004, 2014 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 45 (Okla. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinions

DEBORAH B. BARNES, Chief Judge.

Plaintiff/Appellant Donald E. Rogers (Rogers), as personal representative of the Estate of Amy S. Rogers, deceased, brought an action on behalf of his daughter (Decedent) alleging her death was caused by the [428]*428negligence of her attending physician-R. Cullen Thomas, M.D. (Dr. Thomas)-and Defendant/Appellee Mercy Health Center, Inc., d/b/a Mercy Health Center (MHC). Following settlement with Dr. Thomas, the case proceeded to jury trial against MHC. Rogers appeals from the trial court's Judgment memorializing the jury's verdict in favor of MHC. Based on our review, we conclude Rogers was entitled to have the case go to the jury under the aid of a res ipsa loquitur instruction for resolution of the disputed issues, and the denial of Rogers' request for such an instruction constitutes a prejudicial error requiring that we reverse and remand for a new trial.

BACKGROUND

2 Rogers filed this action in 2007 against Dr. Thomas and MHC. Rogers also named as a defendant Dr. Thomas's employer at the time of the incident, Surgical Specialists of Oklahoma, P.L.L.C.1 In the amended petition, Rogers asserted that Decedent died in November 2005 at MHC's hospital in Oklahoma City. He asserted that Dr. Thomas negligently provided medical care and treatment to Decedent, and that Surgical Specialists of Oklahoma was vicariously liable under the doctrine of respondeat superior for Dr. Thomas's negligence. Rogers also asserted that MHC, through its own agents and employees, negligently provided medical care and treatment to Decedent. Rogers alleged that "[the severe personal injuries and death of [Decedent] on November 8, 2005, [were] neither a proximate result of any act or omission of [Decedent], but attributes (sic) wholly to the conduct of all the Defendants herein."

T3 In its answer, MHC admitted that Decedent was a patient at its hospital in Oklahoma City "on or about" November 7 and November 8, 2005, and that she died at MHC's hospital on November 8, 2005. MHC otherwise denied Rogers' allegations and "specifically denie[d] that it was negligent," denied "that any act or omission on its part was the proximate cause of any injury," and asserted, among other things, that any damages suffered by Decedent "were caused by the acts or negligence of a person or persons other than [MHC], over whom [MHC] exercised no control," or "were an unavoidable casualty or inherent physiological problem in [Decedent's] physical constitution...."

T4 In his answer, Dr. Thomas admitted that at the time of the events in question, he provided medical care and treatment to Decedent and that he was acting as an employee of Surgical Specialists of Oklahoma. He otherwise denied Rogers' allegations, and specifically denied he "was guilty of any type of professional negligence," stating, among other things, that "[the injuries ... were caused by the acts or omissions of a third party over whom [Dr. Thomas] had no authority to control or direct."

1 5 Nevertheless, in September 2008, Rogers reached a settlement with Dr. Thomas and Surgical Specialists of Oklahoma. Rogers filed a dismissal with prejudice as to both defendants, and the case proceeded through discovery and, ultimately, to a jury trial against MHC only.2

T6 The "Final Pretrial Conference Order" (Pretrial Order) sets forth the following general facts: Decedent was admitted by Dr. Thomas to MHC's hospital on November 7, 2005, with a "small bowel obstruction," and was scheduled to have surgery on the following day, November 8.3 During the morning [429]*429hours of November 8, Decedent was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) where, soon after her arrival, "she coded." At or around 11:82 p.m. on the evening of November 8, Decedent died.

T7 Regarding the general allegations and defenses of the parties, the Pretrial Order further provides as follows:

[Rogers] claims that [MHC] was grossly negligent in [its] nursing care of [Decedent] on November 7 and 8, 2005, and that such acts caused her to suffer severe pain and suffering and wrongful death. [Rogers] is seeking compensatory and punitive damages from [MHC].
[MHC] denies the claims of [Rogers] and states that its nursing care of [Decedent] was at all times appropriate, within the applicable standard of care and not the proximate cause of [Decedent's] death.

T8 The Pretrial Order further provides that MHC contended the "severe small bowel obstruction and subsequent perforation" was the cause of Decedent's death, "not the care and treatment provided by anyone associated" with MHC, and, in the alternative, that damages suffered by [Decedent] and/or her parents were caused by the acts or negligence of a person or persons other than [MHC], over whom [MHC] exercised no control or supervision and with whom [MHC] had no legal relationship, and for whose acts or negligence [MHC] is not responsible. ..."

T9 Both parties listed Dr. Thomas as a witness. Rogers asserts in his appellate brief that he anticipated Dr. Thomas's testimony at trial "would be the same as in his deposition, and his other prior sworn doeu-ments"-ie., Rogers asserts he anticipated Dr. Thomas would testify that he was not negligent and that Decedent's death was not the result of his actions or his decision to postpone surgery until the morning of November 8.4

'I 10 In Rogers' motion in limine, he sought to preclude MHC from presenting evidence regarding Rogers' settlement with Dr. Thomas. Rogers also sought to preclude MHC from presenting evidence that the actions of Dr. Thomas, or of any other party other than MHC, were a cause of Decedent's death, arguing that such evidence "would serve to confuse the trier of fact and would be unfairly prejudicial to [Rogers]."

1 11 MHC responded that it would attempt to prove Dr. Thomas's negligence was the cause of Decedent's death, and that MHC was not responsible. MHC stated that it had hired Dr. Thomas sometime after the incidents in question, and that Dr. Thomas was now one if its salaried employees. It argued that evidence of Dr. Thomas's settlement was necessary to rebut Rogers' evidence that Dr. Thomas was a highly-paid employee of MHC and was, for this reason, accepting responsibility for Decedent's death.

1 12 The trial court denied Rogers' motion in limine regarding evidence of the settlement, and stated at the hearing on the motions in limine that MHC "can put in the fact that [Dr. Thomas] was a party in this case and that he has resolved his dispute with [Rogers]. That's it."5

113 The trial court also stated at the hearing on the motions in limine that Dr. Thomas cannot testify as to the appropriate standard of care for nurses, but

[hle can certainly ... [testify as to] all he knows about [Decedent] and his care [430]*430and treatment and what happened in that and how he dealt with the nurses. That's all facts, that's what he's dealing with. And he can certainly go that far.... [And he can even admit that he fouled up, he was negligent, if that's what he's going to do....

... [Hle was the treating doctor. And he has to tell what he knows, what he saw, what he did.6

T14 A jury trial was held in November 2011. The transcript of the jury trial proceedings extends through eight volumes and two thousand pages.

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Bluebook (online)
2014 OK CIV APP 69, 334 P.3d 426, 2014 WL 4072004, 2014 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 45, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rogers-v-mercy-health-center-inc-oklacivapp-2014.