Wilson v. Galt

668 P.2d 1104, 100 N.M. 227
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 19, 1983
Docket5503
StatusPublished
Cited by83 cases

This text of 668 P.2d 1104 (Wilson v. Galt) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wilson v. Galt, 668 P.2d 1104, 100 N.M. 227 (N.M. Ct. App. 1983).

Opinion

OPINION

BIVINS, Judge.

Plaintiffs Michael and Diane Wilson, parents of Zachariah Lee Wilson, (Zach), an infant, and Santa Fe National Bank, as Zach’s conservator, sued three physicians and the Carlsbad Regional Medical Center (Hospital) for damages allegedly resulting from the negligent care and treatment of Zach.

Zach was born on February 8,1976 at the Hospital. Defendant Charles E. Galt, Jr. (Dr. Galt) was the obstetrician who cared for the mother and baby until their release from the hospital on February 6,1976. Defendant Catherine Armstrong (Dr. Armstrong), a pediatrician, began caring for Zach approximately five days after discharge from the Hospital. His mother took Zach back to the hospital on February 9, 1976 for a PKU test and again on February 11, 1976 for additional tests. Defendant J.F. Haynes (Dr. Haynes) supervised the lab at the hospital. Third-party defendant Bonnie Dittus (Dittus), a lab technician employed by the hospital, administered the tests. Following the tests, Dr. Armstrong continued to care for Zach. Because of continued problems with the baby’s crying and feeding, the parents took Zach to Bernalillo County Medical Center in Albuquerque where brain damage caused by bilirubin encephalopathy was diagnosed.

Prior to trial plaintiffs settled with Dr. Armstrong, the Hospital and Dittus (the latter was included although she had not been sued by plaintiffs). The jury answered the special instruction given them as follows:

Damages: $500,000 for Zach’s injuries
$10,000 for parents’ injuries
Apportionment of fault:
Dr. Armstrong 65%
Hospital 15%
Dittus 5%
Dr. Haynes 15%
Dr. Galt 0%
100%. -

The amount of the settlement paid by the settling defendants substantially exceeded the $510,000 which the jury found plaintiffs should recover as total damages. The trial court held that as a matter of law plaintiffs were not entitled to additional recovery, since the settlement exceeded the damage award. Judgment was entered in favor of Dr. Galt and Dr. Haynes and costs assessed against plaintiffs. Plaintiffs appeal raising seven issues:

A. Is a tortfeasor relieved of his several share of liability if settling tortfeasors pay an amount which exceeds plaintiffs’ damages?

B. Did the trial court err in dismissing the parents’ claims of damages for:

A. loss of Zach’s society and companionship; and
B. mental pain and anguish suffered as bystanders?

C. Did the trial court err in dismissing the claim for punitive damages?

D. Did the trial court err in excluding medicare regulations?

E. Can written admissions by a settling defendant come in at trial as evidence?

F. Did the trial court err in instructing the jury?

G. Was it proper to assess costs against plaintiffs?

A. The effect of the settlement on Dr. Haynes’ liability.

At the outset we note that this case was tried after Claymore v. City of Albuquerque, aff’d sub nom, Scott v. Rizzo, 96 N.M. 682, 634 P.2d 1234 (1981), but before Bartlett v. New Mexico Welding Supply, Inc., 98 N.M. 152, 646 P.2d 579 (Ct.App.1982), cert. denied, 98 N.M. 336, 648 P.2d 794 (1982).

The issue presented is: As a matter of law can an injured party recover an amount reflecting a nonsettling tortfeasor’s negligence when the injured party has recovered, through settlement with other tortfeasors, an amount in excess of the entire damage award determined by the jury?

In order to answer this question we must first review the common law with respect to joint and several liability, the effect of release of one tortfeasor and contribution among tortfeasors; the change in the law effected by the Uniform Contribution Among Tortfeasors Act, NMSA 1978, §§ 41-3-1 to 41-3-8 (Repl.Pamp.1982) (hereafter the “Uniform Act”); and the impact of Bartlett.

At common law each tortfeasor was jointly as well as severally liable for damages arising from an injury. Prosser, Law of Torts, §§ 46-49 (4th ed. 1971); Bartlett. No right of contribution existed, however, among joint tortfeasors. Rio Grande Gas Company v. Stahmann Farms, Inc., 80 N.M. 432, 457 P.2d 364 (1969). The release of one joint tortfeasor at common law released all other tortfeasors. Herrera v. Uhl, 80 N.M. 140, 452 P.2d 474 (1969); Downer v. Southern Union Gas Co., 53 N.M. 354, 208 P.2d 815 (1949).

Adoption of the Uniform Act in 1947 gave joint tortfeasors the right to contribution, but it did not change the common law rule of joint and several liability. Section 41-3-2; Rio Grande Gas Company v. Stahmann Farms, Inc. Under the Uniform Act a settling tortfeasor could protect himself not only from further liability to the injured person, but also from other tortfeasors seeking contribution. See Garrison v. Navajo Freight Lines, Inc., 74 N.M. 238, 392 P.2d 580 (1964). Further, once a joint tortfeasor had discharged the common liability or paid more than his pro rata share thereof, he could seek contribution. The rule against double recovery together with the settling tortfeasor’s ability to protect himself from contribution placed the risk of obtaining only partial recovery on the injured person.

What effect did Bartlett have on this state of the law? Bartlett held that “Joint and several liability is not to be retained in our pure comparative negligence system .... ” 646 P.2d at 585. It also rendered the concept of one indivisible wrong obsolete with respect to comparative negligence cases involving more than one tortfeasor. Thus, the injured person bears the risk of not recovering from a responsible tortfeasor who does not pay, for whatever reason.

Since joint and several liability provides the foundation under the Uniform Act for the pro rata 1 allocation of burden among tortfeasors, Bartlett effectively eliminates any basis for contribution among concurrent tortfeasors. See H. Woods, Comparative Fault, § 13.5 (1978). If each concurrent tortfeasor is liable only for his respective share of the negligence, no need exists for him to invoke the Uniform Act and either seek contribution from other tortfeasors or protect himself against having to contribute.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State Ex Rel. Children, Youth & Families Department v. Jeremy N.
2008 NMCA 145 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 2008)
Gulf Insurance v. Cottone
2006 NMCA 150 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 2006)
Atler v. Murphy Enterprises, Inc.
2005 NMCA 006 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 2005)
Krieser Ex Rel. Krieser v. Hobbs
166 F.3d 736 (Fifth Circuit, 1999)
Ford Motor Co. v. Miles
967 S.W.2d 377 (Texas Supreme Court, 1998)
Varner v. Perryman
969 S.W.2d 410 (Court of Appeals of Tennessee, 1997)
Hansen v. Ford Motor Co.
900 P.2d 952 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1995)
Wells v. Tallahassee Mem. Med. Center
659 So. 2d 249 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1995)
Hinger v. Parker & Parsley Petroleum Co.
902 P.2d 1033 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1995)
Sanchez v. Clayton
877 P.2d 567 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1994)
Perea v. Snyder
877 P.2d 580 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1994)
Romero v. Byers
872 P.2d 840 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1994)
TALLAHASSEE MEMORIAL MED. CTR. v. Wells
634 So. 2d 655 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1994)
Haderlie v. Sondgeroth
866 P.2d 703 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1993)
Gallimore v. Children's Hospital Medical Center
617 N.E.2d 1052 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1993)
Gallimore v. Children's Hosp. Med. Ctr.
1993 Ohio 205 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1993)
Neil v. Kavena
859 P.2d 203 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1993)
Boucher Ex Rel. Boucher v. Dixie Medical Center
850 P.2d 1179 (Utah Supreme Court, 1992)
In Re Piper Aircraft
792 F. Supp. 1189 (N.D. California, 1992)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
668 P.2d 1104, 100 N.M. 227, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wilson-v-galt-nmctapp-1983.