Steve Buck v. Columbia Hospital Corporation of South Broward

147 So. 3d 604, 2014 Fla. App. LEXIS 14003, 2014 WL 4426480
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedSeptember 10, 2014
Docket4D13-2165
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 147 So. 3d 604 (Steve Buck v. Columbia Hospital Corporation of South Broward) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Steve Buck v. Columbia Hospital Corporation of South Broward, 147 So. 3d 604, 2014 Fla. App. LEXIS 14003, 2014 WL 4426480 (Fla. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

FORST, J.

The trial court dismissed the complaint filed by Appellant Steve Buck based on his failure to comply with the pre-suit requirements of Chapter 766, Florida Statutes (2012). Appellant argues the trial court erred by applying Chapter 766 to his complaint because the complaint stated a claim of simple negligence, as opposed to medical negligence. We disagree with Appellant and affirm.

Background

Appellani/Plaintiff Steve Buck, as personal representative of the decedent’s estate, filed a complaint against Appellee/De-fendant Westside Regional Medical Center for the wrongful death of the decedent. The complaint alleged the following facts:

• On or about May 5, 2012, [the decedent] was brought to Westside and admitted due to complications related to her chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [“COPD”].

• On or about May 7, 2012, [the decedent] was scheduled to have x-rays; consequently, she was transported from her room to the radiology floor.

• Prior to the x-rays being taken, [Appel-lee’s] transport techs moved [the decedent] from the transport gurney and lifted her onto the x-ray table. In the course of moving [the decedent] from the gurney to the x-ray tables, [Appellee’s] employees and/or agents accidentally dropped [the decedent] onto the hard x-ray table surface causing her to sustain a fracture of her lumbar spine.

Because of the decedent’s age, medical condition, and other factors, the treatment options for the broken back were limited, and her condition began to decline. The complaint alleges that the broken back, “sustained at the hands of [Appellee],” ultimately caused the accidental death of the decedent.

Appellee moved to dismiss the complaint, alleging that Appellant failed to comply with the pre-suit requirements of Chapter 766, Florida Statutes, which covers causes of action in medical negligence cases. Section 766.106 defines a “ ‘[c]laim for medical negligence’ or ‘claim for medical malpractice’ [as] a claim, arising out of the rendering of, or the failure to render, medical care or services.” § 766.106(l)(a), Fla. Stat. (2012).

At a hearing Appellee’s motion, Appellant argued that the pre-suit requirements of Chapter 766 do not apply because the four corners of the complaint in this case state a cause of action in general negligence, as opposed to medical negligence. The trial court ultimately disagreed and *606 granted Appellee’s motion to dismiss. The complaint was dismissed, with prejudice, and a final judgment was entered in favor of Appellee.

On appeal, Appellant argues that the trial court erred by dismissing his complaint because the four corners of the complaint state a cause of action in ordinary negligence as opposed to medical negligence.

Decedent was injured as a Result of Medical Negligence

We review an order dismissing a complaint with prejudice de novo. Stubbs v. Plantation Gen. Hosp. Ltd. P’ship, 988 So.2d 683, 684 (Fla. 4th DCA 2008) (“Stubbs I”) (quoting Palumbo v. Moore, 111 So.2d 1177, 1178 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001)). “A motion to dismiss for failure to state a cause of action admits all well pleaded facts as true, as well as reasonable inferences from those facts[;] ... [a] court may not properly go beyond the four corners of the complaint in testing the legal sufficiency of the allegations set forth therein.” Id. (internal quotations and citations omitted).

A claim for negligence is subject to Chapter 766’s pre-suit requirements “if the wrongful act is directly related to the improper application of medical services and the use of professional judgment or skill.” , Stubbs v. Surgi-Staff, Inc., 78 So.3d 69, 70 (Fla. 4th DCA 2012) (“Stubbs II ”) (internal quotations and citations omitted). On the other hand, “[cjlaims of simple negligence or intentional torts which do not involve the provision of medical services do not require compliance with Chapter 766 presuit requirements.” Indian River Mem’l Hosp. v. Browne, 44 So.3d 237, 238 (Fla. 4th DCA 2010). When determining whether a complaint alleges a cause of action in medical negligence versus simple negligence, “[t]he key inquiry is whether the action arises out of medical diagnosis, treatment, or care.” Stubbs II, 18 So.3d at 70-71 (internal quotations and citations omitted).

In addressing this issue, balance is required. On the one hand, “[ijrreparable harm can be shown where a court incorrectly denies a motion to dismiss for failure to follow pre-suit requirements, as doing so would eliminate the cost-saving features the Act was intended to create.” Palms W. Hosp. Ltd. P’ship v. Burns, 83 So.3d 785, 788 (Fla. 4th DCA 2011) (citing Dr. Navarro’s Vein Ctr. of the Palm Beach, Inc. v. Miller, 22 So.3d 776, 778-79 (Fla. 4th DCA 2009)). On the other hand, the Florida Supreme Court has declared “that the pre-suit screening procedures should be read in a way which favors access to the courts.” Id. (citing Integrated Health Care Servs., Inc. v. Lang-Redway, 840 So.2d 974, 980 (Fla.2002)).

The Florida Supreme Court, in Silva v. Southwest Florida Blood Bank, Inc., 601 So.2d 1184 (Fla.1992), addressed the pertinent “medical negligence” terms:

First, there is no ambiguity to clarify in the words “diagnosis,” “treatment,” or “care,” and we find that these words should be accorded their plain and unambiguous meaning. In ordinary, common parlance, the average person would understand “diagnosis, treatment, or care” to mean ascertaining a patient’s medical condition through examination and testing, prescribing and administering a course of action to effect a cure, and meeting the patient’s daily needs during the illness. This parallels the dictionary definitions of those terms. According to Webster’s Third International Dictionary (1981), “diagnosis” means “the art or act of identifying a disease from its signs and symptoms.” Id. at 622. “Treatment” means “the *607 action or manner of treating a patient medically or surgically.” Id. at 2435. “Care” means “provide for or attend to needs or perform necessary personal services (as for a patient or child).” Id. at 338. Likewise, in medical terms, “diagnosis” means “[t]he determination of the nature of a disease.” Stedman’s Medical Dictionary 428 (25th ed. 1990). “Treatment” means “[mjedical or surgical management of a patient.” Id. at 1626. And “care” means “the application of knowledge to the benefit of ... [an] individual.” Id. at 249.

Id. at 1187.

The complaint at issue in this case alleges the decedent sustained injuries while she was in the hospital being treated for her COPD. During the course of her treatment, and while she was being transported from her gurney to an x-ray table by hospital employees and/or agents, she was dropped and injured. As such, this case is very similar to Stubbs II.

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Bluebook (online)
147 So. 3d 604, 2014 Fla. App. LEXIS 14003, 2014 WL 4426480, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/steve-buck-v-columbia-hospital-corporation-of-south-broward-fladistctapp-2014.