Romero v. United States

153 F.R.D. 649, 39 Fed. R. Serv. 934, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7510, 1994 WL 86586
CourtDistrict Court, D. Colorado
DecidedFebruary 9, 1994
DocketNo. 93-B-841
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 153 F.R.D. 649 (Romero v. United States) 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
Romero v. United States, 153 F.R.D. 649, 39 Fed. R. Serv. 934, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7510, 1994 WL 86586 (D. Colo. 1994).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

BORCHERS, United States Magistrate Judge.

THIS MATTER is before the Court on Plaintiffs’ motion to prohibit government interference with ease preparation. The Court heard argument on the motion at a hearing on January 24,1994. Counsel for the parties were present at that time. The Court then took the motion under advisement.

I.

Plaintiff Delores J. Romero is the wife of Plaintiff Joseph E. Romero, who is an active duty member of the United States Army. On May 19, 1992, Delores Romero was exiting Budding 6089 at Fort Carson, Colorado. This building contains a laundromat, and Delores Romero had gone there to wash clothes.

As Delores Romero was leaving Building 6089, she fell on the steps and injured herself. She was taken to Evans Army Hospital at Fort Carson where she received medical treatment. It was discovered that she had suffered a fractured ankle.

Building 6089 is owned by the United States of America (Government) through the Department of the Army. The laundromat was run by Defendant Web Service Company, Inc. through a concession agreement with the Government.

During the course of treatment at Evans Army Hospital, Delores Romero came under the care of Dr. Mark D. Turner, M.D. Dr. Turner is a Major in the United States Army Medical Corps, stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado. He has treated Ms. Romero since the accident in 1992. Ms. Romero has had two surgeries on her ankle and is continuing to experience pain.

Plaintiffs filed an administrative claim under the Federal Tort Claims Act. They alleged that the Government had failed to properly care for the building, as the steps were uneven and there was no landing imme[651]*651diately outside of the door. The claim was denied by the United States Army. This case was commenced shortly thereafter. Defendant Web Service Company was joined as a party on the basis that it had failed to properly notify customers of a problem with the steps.

During the course of this ease, Plaintiffs’ counsel attempted to set an appointment to talk with Dr. Turner. After the appointment was set, counsel for Plaintiffs was advised that counsel for the Government would be present for the meeting. It was thereafter that Plaintiffs motion was filed. The Government maintains that it has a right to preclude Plaintiff from using Dr. Turner as an expert witness. It further maintains that it has a right to have a representative present when Plaintiffs counsel talks with Dr. Turner.

II.

This case involves two issues that appear to be of first impression. No party to this case has provided extensive research on these issues, and this Court has not found any case exactly on point.

The initial issue presented to the Court is whether Dr. Turner can be endorsed by Plaintiffs as an expert witness. As the Court understands the Government’s argument, the claim is that the Department of the Army has enacted regulations that preclude Plaintiffs from endorsing Dr. Turner as an expert witness. Since Plaintiffs cannot endorse Dr. Turner as an expert, the Government argues, in effect, that there is no need for Plaintiffs’ counsel to talk with him.

Plaintiff Delores Romero was entitled to medical care due to her status as a dependent spouse. It is not disputed that the Government provided this care after the fall and has continued to do so to this date. Delores Romero will be entitled to medical care as long as she is married to Plaintiff Joseph Romero.

It is undisputed that Dr. Turner has been the treating physician for Plaintiff Delores Romero. He has the most complete picture of Ms. Romero’s injuries and, arguably, is in the best position to provide some insight into her prognosis for the future. It is not disputed that Dr. Turner is an employee of the Government in light of his status as a commissioned officer.

The Department of the Army has promulgated 32 CFR § 516.42 which reads, in part, as follows:

(a) DA maintains strict impartiality in' private litigation and conflicts of interest are to be avoided (AR 600-50). DA policy is that present and former present DA military members personnel or civilian employees will not provide, with or without compensation, opinion or expert testimony concern official information, subjects, or activities in private litigation or in litigation in which the United States has an interest as a party other than the United States without the prior approval of HQDA
(b) Members of the Army Medical Department or other qualified specialists may testify in private litigation within the following limitations:
(1) The litigation involves patients they have treated, investigations they have made, laboratory tests they have conducted, or other action they have taken in the regular course of their military duties.
(2) They limit their testimony to factual matters such as:
(i) Their observations of the patient, or other operative facts.
(ii) The treatment prescribed or corrective action taken.
(iii) Course of recovery or steps required for damage suffered.
(iv) Contemplated future treatment or utility of item damaged.
(3) Their testimony may not extend to hypothetical questions or to a prognosis.

It is not disputed that Plaintiffs have not sought approval from the Department of the Army to use Dr. Turner as an expert. The Government argues that the failure to make this request to the Department of the Army means that Dr. Turner “is not her expert, and Army regulations preclude Dr. Turner from providing any expert opinion or testimony to plaintiff’s counsel.” Government’s Response to Motion at p. 2.

This Court has found only one case dealing with the cited regulation. In United States [652]*652v. Fidelity and Deposit Ins. Co. of Maryland, 986 F.2d 1110 (7th Cir.1993), a subcontractor brought an action against the general contractor for breach of contract on a military dormitory project. Plaintiff presented two witnesses who were employees of the Army Corps of Engineers. Each was allowed to testify as an expert witness. Defendant’s argument was that regulations of the Department of the Army precluded the two witnesses from testifying as experts. The Seventh Circuit held initially that the regulation dealt only with matters between its employees and the Department of the Army. Id. at 1118. Thus, it was not error for the witnesses to be allowed to testify as expert witnesses.

From this Court’s perspective, the Government’s position becomes untenable for three reasons. First, Dr. Turner will have to be qualified as an expert to discuss the treatment he has provided and that it was medically necessary. The Government’s own regulation will allow his testimony as an expert on matters such as treatment. 32 C.F.R. § 516.42(b). Thus, Dr. Turner can be endorsed as an expert witness by Plaintiffs.

Second, Plaintiffs have a right to call Dr.

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153 F.R.D. 649, 39 Fed. R. Serv. 934, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7510, 1994 WL 86586, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/romero-v-united-states-cod-1994.