Sarnovsky v. Snyder, Evans & Anderson, Inc.

525 N.E.2d 826, 38 Ohio App. 3d 33, 1987 Ohio App. LEXIS 10618
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 22, 1987
Docket86AP-900
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 525 N.E.2d 826 (Sarnovsky v. Snyder, Evans & Anderson, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sarnovsky v. Snyder, Evans & Anderson, Inc., 525 N.E.2d 826, 38 Ohio App. 3d 33, 1987 Ohio App. LEXIS 10618 (Ohio Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

Bowman, J.

Beginning in June 1982, appellant 1 was treated by ap-pellee 2 for an open bite deformity, which treatment included surgery on September 13,1982, December 5,1982 and April 13,1983. Appellee is licensed as both a physician and a dentist. Appellant states in her interrogatories that she last saw appellee on October 26, 1983. On September 21, 1983, appellant was examined by Richard Paley, M.D., who gave his opinion that appellee was negligent in his treatment of appellant. Similar opinions were expressed by Robert Mendelsohn, M.D., on October 19,1983, and Bruce Epker, M.D., on November 27, 1983.

On or about September 24, 1984, appellant sent appellee written notice pursuant to R.C. 2305.11(A) and suit was filed on February 19, 1985.

Appellee filed a motion for summary judgment on the basis that appellant had failed to present any expert witness whose opinion controverted the affidavit by appellee filed in support of his motion for summary judgment, and that the statute of limitations had run against appellee who was acting in his capacity as a dentist. In her memorandum in opposition to the motion for summary judgment, appellant included an affidavit of Dr. Gordon Pedersen, a licensed dentist and oral surgeon, stating his opinion *34 that appellee provided substandard care.

The trial court sustained the motion for summary judgment finding that the claim against appellee was a medical claim brought against appellee as a physician, and that Dr. Pedersen, a dentist, was not qualified to testify against appellee, a physician, and further that Dr. Pedersen’s affidavit failed to state whether he spends three-quarters of his professional time in the active clinical practice or in teaching at an accredited university. The court further found appellant’s dental claim was barred by the statute of limitations.

Appellants set forth the following assignment of error:

“I. The trial court committed reversible error by improperly granting defendants-appellees’ motion for summary judgment.
“A. Inasmuch as the case was timely filed against William Evans, M.D., then it is also timely filed against him as an oral surgeon or D.D.S.
“B. The plaintiffs’ use of a 180 day letter was reasonable under the state of the law as it existed at the time. Plaintiffs should be permitted to justifiably rely on the law at the time; use of subsequent decisions to eradicate plaintiffs’ claim is unfair, unust [sic] and violates the Equal Protection Clauses of the Ohio and U.S. Constitutions.
“C. Inasmuch as both medical and dental treatment were involved here, and plaintiffs’ expert oral surgeon is knowledgeable on the standards of care, then Dr. Pedersen is qualified to render his opinion against William Evans, M.D., D.D.S.
“D. An issue of informed consent exists based upon deposition testimony and affidavits. Expert testimony is not required for this, or, in the alternative, cross-examination of the defendant is sufficient to establish the required standard of care.”

For the following reasons we reverse the judgment of the trial court.

A resolution of the issues raised requires a determination of whether ap-pellee was acting as a physician or a dentist. Both appellant and the appel-lee would have Dr. Evans occupying both positions although for different purposes. Appellant would contend ap-pellee was a physician for purposes of the statute of limitations and a dentist in order to qualify her expert witness; appellee would argue the reverse.

R.C. 2305.11(D) defines “physician,” “medical claim,” “dentist” and “dental claim” as follows:

“(2) ‘Physician’ means all persons who are licensed to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery by the state medical board.
“(3) ‘Medical claim’ means- any claim asserted in any civil action against a physician, podiatrist, or hospital arising out of the diagnosis, care, or treatment of any person.
<<* * *
“(5) ‘Dentist’ means any person who is licensed to practice dentistry by the state dental board.
“(6) ‘Dental claim’ means any claim that is asserted in any civil action against a dentist * * * and that arises out of a dental operation or the dental diagnosis, care, or treatment of any person. * * *”

The trial court characterized the claim set forth by appellant as a medical claim and we agree.

In his affidavit submitted in support of his initial motion for summáry judgment, appellee states he is licensed as both a physician and a dentist, and in paragraph four of the affidavit states that he is “currently engaged in the active practice of medicine.” Ap-pellee further states in his affidavit in paragraph six that he is “fully knowledgeable of the standard of care for a dentist and surgeon in the practice of the board certified specialty of oral and *35 maxillofacial surgery” and paragraph nine refers to his “dental and surgical education, training and experience.” In an affidavit in support of his supplemental motion for summary judgment, appellee states in paragraphs six and seven:

“6. I am eligible to practice oral & maxilofacial [sic] surgery without licensure as a medical doctor. Indeed, many board certified oral & maxilo-facial [sic] surgeons are dentists and not medical doctors.
“7. The procedures which I performed on Judith Sarnovsky and the care and treatment which I provided to her was [sic] solely within the practice of dentistry, and specifically the practice of oral & maxilofacial [sic] surgery.”

However, it is not in what capacity appellee perceived himself as rendering professional services but rather how appellant perceived appellee as rendering services that should control. Appellee’s affidavit does not state appellant was ever told he was acting only as a dentist and not as a physician. Appellee, being licensed as both a physician and a dentist and practicing as such, should be held to the higher standard of care. There is nothing to show that appellee as a physician could not have performed the same surgery as appellee as a dentist. See R.C. 4715.34.

Since appellants’ complaint stated ■a medical claim against appellee as a physician, we find the complaint was filed within the statute of limitations. In Frysinger v. Leech (1987), 32 Ohio St. 3d 38, 512 N.E. 2d 337, the court held in paragraph one of the syllabus that:

“Under R.C. 2305.11(A), a cause of action for medical malpractice accrues and the one-year statute of limitations commences to run (a) when the patient discovers or, in the exercise of reasonable care and diligence should have discovered, the resulting injury, or (b) when the physician-patient relationship for that condition terminates, whichever occurs later. (Oliver v. Kaiser Community Health Found. [1983], 5 Ohio St. 3d 111, 5 OBR 247, 449 N.E.

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

Related

Jett v. Interim Healthcare, 22727 (12-5-2008)
2008 Ohio 6332 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2008)
State v. Scott, Unpublished Decision (9-26-2006)
2006 Ohio 4981 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2006)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
525 N.E.2d 826, 38 Ohio App. 3d 33, 1987 Ohio App. LEXIS 10618, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sarnovsky-v-snyder-evans-anderson-inc-ohioctapp-1987.