Suria v. Shiffman

490 N.E.2d 832, 67 N.Y.2d 87, 499 N.Y.S.2d 913, 1986 N.Y. LEXIS 16607
CourtNew York Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 19, 1986
StatusPublished
Cited by43 cases

This text of 490 N.E.2d 832 (Suria v. Shiffman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Suria v. Shiffman, 490 N.E.2d 832, 67 N.Y.2d 87, 499 N.Y.S.2d 913, 1986 N.Y. LEXIS 16607 (N.Y. 1986).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Chief Judge Wachtler.

This action arises from a course of medical treatment initiated by plaintiff, a transsexual, who sought to have his breasts augmented. He testified that, in July and again in December 1974, defendant Shiffman injected silicone into both [92]*92his breasts. By March 1975, his breasts became sore and red, and in December 1975, plaintiff returned to Shiffman for treatment of symptoms including severe pain, discoloration and lumps. Although Shiftman's treatments continued for approximately six months, they were unsuccessful.

Shiffman testified that plaintiff did not first consult him until December 1975, at which time his breasts had already been injured, and that he came only seeking treatment, not augmentation. Shiffman claimed he treated plaintiff until July 1976, but denied ever administering silicone injections. In September 1976, according to Shiffman, plaintiff revealed for the first time that his symptoms were caused by injections of mineral oil administered by a transsexual friend. Shiffman concluded there was nothing more he could do, and referred plaintiff to Dhaliwal, a plastic surgeon, who performed a bilateral subcutaneous mastectomy. Plaintiff testified he thought Dhaliwal was to perform only an "incision and drainage” and he did not consent to a mastectomy. Dhaliwal testified that he had fully explained the proposed procedure, its risks and consequences before obtaining plaintiff’s consent.

On September 20, 1976, plaintiff, recovering in the hospital from the surgery and, according to his testimony, still unaware he had undergone a mastectomy, talked an attendant into unwrapping his bandages. Shocked by the severity of his wounds, he checked out of the hospital against medical advice, and later developed a wound site infection which required another operation.

At the close of proof, plaintiff argued that Shiffman committed malpractice when he injected silicone into his breasts in July and December 1974, that Dhaliwal committed malpractice in the performance of the mastectomy, and that Dhaliwal had improperly failed to obtain informed consent for the procedure.

The court’s charge contained the following instruction on the issue of plaintiff’s culpability:

"The defendants claim that the plaintiff was guilty of negligence, that is, the failure to use ordinary care in permitting some third party to inject mineral oil into his breasts. And in leaving the Boulevard Hospital shortly after the surgery performed by Dr. Dhaliwal against medical advice.

"Mr. Suria denies anyone injected him with mineral oil. The burden is on the defendants to prove that the plaintiff was [93]*93negligent and that such negligence caused or contributed to plaintiffs injuries.

"Mr. Suria, as I say, was required to exercise reasonable care for his own health and safety. If you find that Mr. Suria failed to exercise such reasonable care either in having someone other than a licensed medical doctor inject a substance into his breast, or in failing to heed medical advice concerning the treatment to be followed, following surgery at Boulevard Hospital, then you may find that he was guilty of negligence.

"But, of course, if you find that the plaintiff did not permit some non-medical person to inject him with mineral oil, or if you find that a reasonable prudent person would have left Boulevard Hospital on the 20th of September under the same circumstances then, of course, you may find that Mr. Suria was not guilty of any contributory or comparative negligence, as we use that term.

"Negligence on Mr. Suria’s part would not prevent his recovering damages in this lawsuit. But it would result in a reduction in the amount to which he would otherwise be entitled to recover.”

The court then indicated he would be submitting special interrogatories which included the following questions:

"Did the Plaintiff [sic], Felix Shiftman, commit medical malpractice which malpractice was a proximate cause of the injuries sustained by the plaintiff, Luis Suria?”1 "Did the defendant, Avtar Dhaliwal, commit medical malpractice, which malpractice was a proximate cause of injuries sustained by plaintiff Luis Suria?”

"Did the defendant, Avtar Dhaliwal, fail to adequately advise plaintiff, Luis Suria, of the surgery that Dr. Dhaliwal intended to perform, which failure was a proximate cause of injury to the plaintiff?”

"Was plaintiff, Luis Suria, guilty of any negligence which was a proximate cause of the injuries he has sustained?”

"What is the percentage of fault chargeable to:

"(a) Defendant Felix Shiftman?

"(b) Defendant Avtar Dhaliwal?

"(c) Plaintiff Luis Suria?”

[94]*94"What are the total damages sustained by plaintiff, Luis Suria, without deductions for his negligence, if any?”

After the jury had been discharged to commence deliberations, Shiffman’s counsel stated: "I take exception to the comparative negligence charge to the extent the offense of this case proceeded in 1975 and more properly fell into the control of the contributory negligence rule.” The court responded, "We do have a problem”, but took no further action.

The jury found that in July and December 1974 Shiffman committed malpractice that was a proximate cause of plaintiff’s injuries, that Dhaliwal did not commit malpractice but did fail to obtain plaintiff’s informed consent, which failure was a cause of plaintiff’s injuries, that plaintiff was guilty of negligence that was a cause of his injuries, that Shiffman was 60% at fault, Dhaliwal 15% and plaintiff 25%, and that plaintiff’s total damages were $2,000,000. The trial court dismissed the claim against Shiffman on the ground that plaintiff’s contributory negligence barred recovery and, reducing the amount of the verdict by 25%, the proportionate share of plaintiff’s fault, entered judgment in the principal amount of $1,500,000 against Dhaliwal alone.

On cross appeals by plaintiff and Dhaliwal, the Appellate Division modified, on the law and facts, by reinstating the verdict against Shiffman, denying his motion for a directed verdict, and ordering a new trial on the issue of damages unless plaintiff stipulated to reduce the verdict to $800,000, in which event a judgment, as so modified, was to be entered in favor of plaintiff and against Shiffman and Dhaliwal in accordance with the jury’s findings as to the relative responsibility and fault of the respective parties, and otherwise affirmed. In its decision, the Appellate Division noted that the record supported the jury’s finding that Shiffman committed malpractice, and concluded the trial court erred in directing a verdict in his favor. Further, the court stated, it need not reach the issue whether Dhaliwal was a successive, joint or concurrent tort-feasor, in light of its reinstatement of the verdict against Shiffman (107 AD2d 309).

The plaintiff stipulated to reduce the verdict pursuant to the Appellate Division’s conditional grant of a new trial, and a judgment was entered thereon. Shiffman filed a notice of appeal to our court, based on the substantial and, as to him, adverse modification by the Appellate Division (former CPLR 5601 [a] [iii]). Dhaliwal sought leave to appeal, which our court granted (65 NY2d 605). We now modify.

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Bluebook (online)
490 N.E.2d 832, 67 N.Y.2d 87, 499 N.Y.S.2d 913, 1986 N.Y. LEXIS 16607, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/suria-v-shiffman-ny-1986.