Case Name: Lynne IRWIN and John Avakian, Appellants, v. Alice BLAKE and Allstate Insurance Company, Appellees
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1991-11-13
Citations: 589 So. 2d 973
Docket Number: No. 90-0549
Parties: Lynne IRWIN and John Avakian, Appellants, v. Alice BLAKE and Allstate Insurance Company, Appellees.
Judges: GLICKSTEIN, C.J., and FARMER, J., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 589
Pages: 973–974

Head Matter:
Lynne IRWIN and John Avakian, Appellants, v. Alice BLAKE and Allstate Insurance Company, Appellees.
No. 90-0549.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
Nov. 13, 1991.
Rehearing Denied Jan. 7, 1992.
Don M. Simon of Rosner & Simon, P.A., Fort Lauderdale, for appellants.
Gordon S. Daniels of Daniels & Daniels, Lauderhill, for appellees.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Lynne Irwin and John Avakian, defendants in the trial court, appeal a final judgment. We affirm in part, but reverse in part and remand for new trial on the sole issue of medical bills.
We conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in failing to wait for appellants' expert to appear and in ordering the expert's deposition to be read into evidence as a substitute for his testimony.
However, we conclude the trial court did err in barring appellants from arguing to the jury that appellee's medical bills were not reasonable and necessary. When a plaintiff testifies as to the amount of his or her medical bills and introduces such bills into evidence, it becomes "a question for a jury to decide, under proper instructions, whether these bills represented reasonable and necessary medical expenses." Garrett v. Morris Kirschman & Co., 336 So.2d 566, 571 (Fla.1976). Although some jurisdictions consider evidence of the amount of a medical bill to be sufficient proof of reasonableness, many, including Florida, require something more. Albertson's Inc. v. Brady, 475 So.2d 986, 988 (Fla.2d DCA), rev. denied, 486 So.2d 595 (Fla.1985).
GLICKSTEIN, C.J., and FARMER, J., concur.
POLEN, J., concurs in part and dissents in part with opinion.