University of Texas Medical Branch v. Railsback

259 S.W.3d 860, 2008 Tex. App. LEXIS 2788, 2008 WL 1747902
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 17, 2008
Docket01-07-00729-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by51 cases

This text of 259 S.W.3d 860 (University of Texas Medical Branch v. Railsback) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
University of Texas Medical Branch v. Railsback, 259 S.W.3d 860, 2008 Tex. App. LEXIS 2788, 2008 WL 1747902 (Tex. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

OPINION

TERRY JENNINGS, Justice.

In this interlocutory appeal, 1 appellant, the University of Texas Medical Branch (“UTMB”), challenges the trial court’s August 2, 2007 order denying its motion to dismiss the health care liability claims made against UTMB by appellee, Lynda Railsback. 2 In its sole issue, UTMB contends that the trial court erred in not dismissing Railsback’s health care liability claims on the ground that her submitted “expert report was [deficient] and did not represent a good faith effort to comply with” section 74.351 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. 3

We affirm in part and reverse and render in part.

Procedural Background

In her first amended original petition, filed on February 27, 2007, Railsback sued UTMB, Dr. Frank M. Ivey, Jr., and Dr. Seth Maxwell, 4 alleging that, when conducting surgery on her right knee, “Rails-back underwent a tibial tubercle elevation in which a tourniquet was placed on her extremity prior to the beginning of the surgery,” causing her, through their negligence, to suffer nerve damage in her right foot. Railsback specifically alleged that UTMB was negligent in (1) “failing to monitor its physicians and employees and to provide competent medical staff to ensure [Railsback’s] safety,” and (2) “acting through [its] board of trustees, hospital committees, staff physicians, administrative personnel, agents, ostensible agents, agents by estoppel, and employees, engaged in ... acts and omissions, ... constituting negligence, negligent supervision!,] and failure to properly train [its] employees and staff physicians in the proper technique and positioning of a tourniquet.” Railsback further alleged that UTMB was vicariously liable for the “acts and omissions of [its] employees and agents.”

On June 21, 2007, Railsback provided UTMB with the expert report 5 of Dr. James A. Ghadially, M.D. On July 11, 2007, UTMB filed its “Objections to Plaintiffs Expert Report and CV and Motion to Dismiss.” UTMB objected to Dr. Ghadially’s report as deficient and requested a “dismissal” of Railsback’s claims. 6 Rails-back filed a response, and, on August 2, 2007, the trial court entered a written order denying UTMB’s “[objections.” Subsequently, on August 24, 2007, UTMB filed its notice of appeal, challenging the trial court’s interlocutory order.

*863 Expert Report

In its sole issue, UTMB argues that the trial court erred in denying UTMB’s motion to dismiss because Dr. Ghadially’s expert report does not “discuss each of [the three] elements with sufficient specificity [under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code section 74.351(r)(6) ] to inform UTMB of the conduct that Railsback has called into question [or] provide a basis for the trial court to conclude that the claims have merit.” 7 UTMB asserts that the cause must be dismissed as it “does not represent an objective good faith effort” to comply with Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code section 74.351(Ɩ). 8

We review a trial court’s decision on a section 74.351(b) motion to dismiss for an abuse of discretion. See Am. Transitional Care Ctrs. of Tex., Inc. v. Palacios, 46 S.W.3d 873, 875 (Tex.2001) (citing predecessor statute); Gray v. CHCA Bayshore L.P., 189 S.W.3d 855, 858 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 2006, no pet.). A trial court abuses its discretion if it acts in an arbitrary or unreasonable manner without reference to guiding rules or principles. See Garcia v. Martinez, 988 S.W.2d 219, 222 (Tex.1999). When reviewing matters committed to the trial court’s discretion, we may not substitute our own judgment for that of the trial court. Bowie Mem’l Hosp. v. Wright, 79 S.W.3d 48, 52 (Tex.2002). A trial court does not abuse its discretion merely because it decides a discretionary matter differently than an appellate court would in a similar circumstance. Gray, 189 S.W.3d at 858. However, a trial court has no discretion in determining what the law is or in applying the law to the facts. Walker v. Packer, 827 S.W.2d 833, 840 (Tex.1992); Baylor Univ. Med. Ctr. v. Biggs, 237 S.W.3d 909, 916 (Tex.App.Dallas 2007, pet. filed).

Here, the issue is whether Dr. Ghadially’s report represents an objective good faith effort to comply with the statutory definition of an expert report. See Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem.Code ANN. § 74.351(0 (Vernon Supp.2007); Palacios, 46 S.W.3d at 878. The definition requires “a fair summary of the expert’s opinions as of the date of the report regarding applicable standards of care,” “the manner in which the care rendered by the physician or health care provider faded to meet the standards,” and “the causal relationship between that failure and the injury, harm, or damages claimed.” Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem.Code Ann. 74.351(r)(6) (Vernon Supp. 2007). If a plaintiff timely files an expert report and the defendant moves to dismiss because of the report’s inadequacy, a trial court must grant the motion “only if it appears to the court, after hearing, that the report does not represent an objective good faith effort to comply with the definition of an expert report in Subsection (r)(6).” Id. § 74.351®.

The only information relevant to our inquiry is within the four corners of the report. Palacios, 46 S.W.3d at 878. A report need not marshal all the plaintiffs proof, but it must include the expert’s opinion on each of the elements identified in the statute. Id. In setting out the expert’s opinions on each of those elements, the report must provide enough information to fulfill two purposes to constitute a good faith effort. Id. at 879. First, the report must inform the defendant of the specific conduct that the plaintiff has called into question. Id. Second, and equally important, the report must provide a basis for the trial court to conclude that the claims have merit. Id.

*864 A report that merely states the expert’s conclusions about the standard of care, breach, and causation does not fulfill these two purposes. Id. Rather, the expert, in his report, must explain the basis of his statements to link his conclusions to the facts. Bowie Mem’l Hosp. v. Wright,

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Bluebook (online)
259 S.W.3d 860, 2008 Tex. App. LEXIS 2788, 2008 WL 1747902, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/university-of-texas-medical-branch-v-railsback-texapp-2008.