Steptoe v. Lallie Kemp Hosp.

634 So. 2d 331, 1994 WL 89578
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedMarch 31, 1994
Docket93-C-1359
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 634 So. 2d 331 (Steptoe v. Lallie Kemp Hosp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Steptoe v. Lallie Kemp Hosp., 634 So. 2d 331, 1994 WL 89578 (La. 1994).

Opinion

634 So.2d 331 (1994)

Mary Louise Carr STEPTOE, et al.
v.
LALLIE KEMP HOSPITAL, et al.

No. 93-C-1359.

Supreme Court of Louisiana.

March 21, 1994.
Rehearing Denied June 24, 1994.
Dissenting Opinion March 22, 1994.
Opinion Concurring in Part, Dissenting in Part March 25, 1994.
Dissenting Opinion March 31, 1994.

*334 Paul H. Due, Donald W. Price, Due, Smith, Caballero, Price & Guidry, David W. Robertson, Baton Rouge, Joseph H. Simpson, Simpson & Schwartz, Amite, for applicant.

Fred J. Cassibry, Michael A. Stroud, David Shaw, Brook, Morial, Cassibry, Pizza & Adcock, New Orleans, for respondent.

Dissenting Opinion by Justice Marcus March 22, 1994.

Opinion by Justice Dennis Concurring in Part, Dissenting in Part March 25, 1994.

Dissenting Opinion by Justice Kimball March 31, 1994.

WATSON, Justice.[1]

When death results from medical malpractice after an accidental injury, does satisfaction of a judgment against the accident tortfeasors bar litigation and recovery against the medical malpractice tortfeasors?

FACTS

Murphy J. Steptoe died from medical malpractice following September 6, 1985, automobile accident injuries. A wrongful death and survival suit was brought by his widow and twelve children against the automobile accident tortfeasors: the Town of Amite; its police officer employee, Julius Quinn; and its insurer, Great Global Assurance Company. After trial in June of 1986, Murphy Steptoe was found to be thirty-five percent at fault in causing the accident.

In August of 1986, the medical malpractice defendants: Lallie Kemp Regional Medical Center; New Orleans Charity Hospital; and the Louisiana Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), were added to the initial suit. Suit was brought against the medical malpractice defendants before the September 11, 1986, final judgment against the accident defendants. A $356,736.25 judgment (reduced by thirty-five percent from $548,825) against the City of Amite, Julius Quinn and Great Global Assurance Company was fully paid: satisfactions of judgment were filed in August of 1988.

The medical malpractice defendants filed peremptory exceptions of no right and no cause of action, claiming that satisfaction of the judgment against the original tortfeasors released their solidary liability. The trial court denied the exceptions, noting that solidarity had not been tried. After trial against the medical malpractice defendants, the trial court found that Murphy Steptoe had an accidental, untreated C-7 neck fracture but died of cardiac arrhythmia caused by medical malpractice. The trial court awarded a $643,297 judgment against the medical malpractice defendants on December 9, 1991.

The court of appeal reversed, sustaining defendants' exception of no right of action and dismissing the suit. Steptoe v. Lallie Kemp Regional Hosp., 618 So.2d 1008 (La. App. 1st Cir.1993). A writ was granted to review the judgment. 623 So.2d 1288 (La. 1993).

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LIABILITY

The trial court concluded that Murphy Steptoe died from a preventable cardiac arrhythmia caused by negligent medical treatment. His chance of surviving his accidental injuries was lost because of medical malpractice. Hastings v. Baton Rouge Gen. Hosp., 498 So.2d.713 (La.1986); Martin v. East Jefferson General Hosp., 582 So.2d 1272 (La.1991).

A tortfeasor is liable for related medical treatment injuries suffered by a tort victim. Weber v. Charity Hosp. of Louisiana, 475 So.2d 1047 (La.1985); Lambert v. United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co., 629 So.2d 328 (La.1993). See Joiner v. Diamond M Drilling Co., 688 F.2d 256 (5th Cir.1982). There is an ease of association between the original injury and the negligent treatment which creates solidary liability between the tortfeasor and those guilty of medical malpractice. LSA-C.C. art. 2324 (prior to its 1987 amendment); Younger v. Marshall Industries, 618 So.2d 866 (La.1993); Lasha v. Olin Corp., 625 So.2d 1002 (La.1993). The tortious medical treatment aggravated the *335 accidental injury, and the malpractice defendants are liable for the full extent of the aggravation.

CAUSE OF ACTION ANALYSIS

A cause of action is based on an act which gives the right to invoke judicial interference. Trahan v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, 314 So.2d 350 (La.1975). Plaintiffs' initial cause of action was based on negligent operation of a vehicle. A second cause of action manifested itself during discovery and trial, which was based on medical malpractice in treating the automobile accident injuries. There were separate and distinct acts of negligence. The automobile accident tortfeasors caused injury, and the medical malpractice defendants caused death. Although Steptoe's death was one occurrence, it was produced by more than one cause.

LSA-R.S. 13:4231(1) now provides:

Except as otherwise provided by law, a valid and final judgment is conclusive between the same parties, except on appeal or other direct review, to the following extent:
(1) If the judgment is in favor of the plaintiff, all causes of action existing at the time of final judgment arising out of the transaction or occurrence that is the subject matter of the litigation are extinguished and merged in the judgment.

The statute was amended in 1990 to make a substantive change in the law: a judgment bar to all causes of actions arising out of the same occurrence. Also see the amendment to LSA-C.C.P. art. 425. The amendments only apply to civil actions filed after January 1, 1991, and do not affect this suit.

LSA-C.C. art. 1795 provides, in pertinent part: "Unless the obligation is extinguished, an obligee may institute action against any of his solidary obligors even after institution of action against another solidary obligor." Plaintiffs were entitled to assert their separate actions against the separate groups of defendants unless barred by prescription or res judicata.

PRESCRIPTION

The cause of action against the medical malpractice defendants is not subject to a plea of prescription. Prescription was interrupted against the medical malpractice defendants when those defendants were found to have solidary liability. LSA-C.C. art. 2324 (prior to its 1987 amendment); LSA-C.C. art. 1797; LSA-C.C. art. 1799; Picone v. Lyons, 601 So.2d 1375 (La.1992).

RES JUDICATA

The action is not subject to a plea of res judicata. Identity of the parties is required for res judicata. Safeco Ins. Co. of America v. Palermo, 436 So.2d 536 (La. 1983). The second proceeding lacked identity of subject matter, as well as identity of parties. Dornak v. Lafayette General Hospital, 399 So.2d 168 (La.1981). Although collateral estoppel or issue preclusion is not a valid Louisiana defense, fault of the malpractice defendants was not raised or determined in the first proceeding.

SATISFACTION OF JUDGMENT

A valid final judgment is conclusive between the same parties. LSA-R.S. 13:4231. The final judgment here determined the merits of the claim against the accident tortfeasors. LSA-C.C.P. art. 1841. Issues not raised by the pleadings and not involved in the decision are not concluded by a judgment. Mitchell v. Bertolla, 340 So.2d 287 (La.1976).

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