Schubert v. Freed

682 F. Supp. 2d 657, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7034, 2010 WL 334860
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. West Virginia
DecidedJanuary 28, 2010
DocketCivil Action No. 5:09CV30
StatusPublished

This text of 682 F. Supp. 2d 657 (Schubert v. Freed) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. West Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Schubert v. Freed, 682 F. Supp. 2d 657, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7034, 2010 WL 334860 (N.D.W. Va. 2010).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART DEFENDANT JOHN D. FREED, M.D.’S MOTION TO DISMISS

FREDERICK P. STAMP, JR., District Judge.

I. Procedural History

The plaintiffs, Steven J. Schubert and Jennifer R. Schubert, commenced this civil action in the Circuit Court of Ohio County, West Virginia, alleging medical negligence, loss of consortium, and violation of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (“EMTALA”), 42 U.S.C. § 1395dd et seq. The defendants, John D. Freed, M.D. (“Dr. Freed”) and East Ohio Regional Hospital at Martins Ferry (“East Ohio Regional Hospital”), re moved the case to federal court. Dr. Freed then filed a motion to dismiss to which the plaintiffs filed a response, and Dr. Freed replied. For the reasons set forth below, Dr. Freed’s motion to dismiss is granted in part and denied in part.

[659]*659II.Facts1

On May 12, 2007, Mr. Schubert was presented to East Ohio Regional Hospital with four amputated fingers on his left hand. Because the defendants were incapable of performing the surgery to replant Mr. Schubert’s fingers, they attempted to locate a facility that could perform immediate emergency surgery. In their complaint, the plaintiffs allege that Dr. Freed and East Ohio Regional Hospital negligently failed to timely transfer Mr. Schubert to another facility by improperly contacting and obtaining the approval of Mr. Schubert’s health insurer before effectuating the transfer.

III.Applicable Law

In assessing a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), a court must accept the factual allegations contained in the complaint as true. Advanced Health-Care Servs., Inc. v. Radford Cmty. Hosp., 910 F.2d 139, 143 (4th Cir.1990). Dismissal is appropriate pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) only if “ ‘it appears to be a certainty that the plaintiff would be entitled to no relief under any state of facts which could be proven in support of its claim.’ ” Id. at 143-44 (quoting Johnson v. Mueller, 415 F.2d 354, 355 (4th Cir.1969)); see also Rogers v. Jefferson-Pilot Life Ins. Co., 883 F.2d 324, 325 (4th Cir.1989).

Stated another way, it has often been said that the purpose of a motion under Rule 12(b)(6) is to test the formal sufficiency of the statement of the claim for relief; it is not a procedure for resolving a contest about the facts or the merits of the case. 5A Charles Alan Wright & Arthur R. Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure § 1356, at 294 (2d ed. 1990). The Rule 12(b)(6) motion also must be distinguished from a motion for summary judgment under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56, which goes to the merits of the claim and is designed to test whether there is a genuine issue of material fact. Id. § 1356, at 298. For purposes of the motion to dismiss, the complaint is construed in the light most favorable to the party making the claim and essentially the court’s inquiry is directed to whether the allegations constitute a statement of a claim under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a). Id. § 1357, at 304, 310.

A motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim under Rule 12(b)(6) should be granted only in very limited circumstances. Rogers, 883 F.2d at 325. A complaint should be dismissed “if it does not allege ‘enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on is face.’ ” Giarratano v. Johnson, 521 F.3d 298, 302 (4th Cir.2008) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007)). The facts alleged must be sufficient “to raise a right to relief about the speculative level.” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955.

IV.Discussion

Dr. Freed makes two arguments in his motion to dismiss. Specifically, Dr. Freed argues that the plaintiffs’ EMTALA claim against him fails as a matter of law because EMTALA does not allow a private right of action against an individual physician. Next, Dr. Freed contends that the plaintiffs’ claims are barred by the applicable statute of limitations. This Court discusses each argument in turn.

A. EMTALA Violation Against Dr. Freed

This Court agrees with Dr. Freed that the EMTALA claim asserted against [660]*660him must be dismissed. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has held that EMTALA does not provide a plaintiff with a cause of action against an individual physician:

Although the statute clearly allows a patient to bring a civil suit for damages for an EMTALA violation against a participating hospital, 42 U.S.C.A. § 1395dd(d)(2)(A), no section permits an individual to bring a similar action against a treating physician. Instead the enforcement sections of EMTALA allow an action against a physician only by the Department of Health and Human Services to bar his participation in Medicare programs and/or to seek administrative sanctions in the form of civil monetary penalties. 42 U.S.C.A. § 1395dd(d)(l) & (2)(B). Thus, nothing in the language of the statute permits a private individual to recover personal injury damages from a physician for an EMTALA violation.

Baber v. Hosp. Corp. of Am., 977 F.2d 872, 877 (4th Cir.1992). See also Brooks v. Md. Gen. Hosp., Inc., 996 F.2d 708, 710 n. 2 (4th Cir.1993) (“Section 1395dd(d)(2)(A) of Title 42 of the United States Code limits private civil actions under EMTALA, providing remedies only against hospitals.”).

Several other circuits have held the same. See e.g. Moses v. Providence Hosp. and Med. Ctrs., Inc., 561 F.3d 573, 587 (6th Cir.2009) (“We agree with our sister circuits that EMTALA does not authorize a private right of action against individuals.”); King v. Ahrens, 16 F.3d 265, 271 (8th Cir.1994) (“The plain language indicates that section 1395dd(d)(2)(A) creates a cause of action only against a ‘participating hospital.’ ”); Eberhardt v. City of Los Angeles, 62 F.3d 1253, 1256 (9th Cir.1995)(“The plain text of EMTALA explicitly limits a private right of action to the participating hospital.”); Delaney v. Cade, 986 F.2d 387, 393-94 (10th Cir.1993) (“We agree the plain language of the Act indicates individuals can bring civil actions only against participating hospitals.”).

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Related

Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly
550 U.S. 544 (Supreme Court, 2007)
Giarratano v. Johnson
521 F.3d 298 (Fourth Circuit, 2008)
King v. Ahrens
16 F.3d 265 (Eighth Circuit, 1994)
Eberhardt v. City of Los Angeles
62 F.3d 1253 (Ninth Circuit, 1995)
Johnson v. Mueller
415 F.2d 354 (Fourth Circuit, 1969)
Delaney v. Cade
986 F.2d 387 (Tenth Circuit, 1993)

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Bluebook (online)
682 F. Supp. 2d 657, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7034, 2010 WL 334860, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schubert-v-freed-wvnd-2010.