Title: Rozanna Q. Reutzel and Mark Reutzel v. Richard Douglas, M.D., and Allegheny General Hospital, Appeal of: Rozanna Reutzel (Concurring Opinion)
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 24WAP2004
State: Pennsylvania
Issuer: Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Date: March 30, 2005

[J-139-2004] IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA WESTERN DISTRICT ROZANNA Q. REUTZEL AND MARK REUTZEL, v. RICHARD DOUGLAS, M.D. AND ALLEGHENY GENERAL HOSPITAL, APPEAL OF: ROZANNA Q. REUTZEL : : : : : : : : : : : : : No. 24 WAP 2004 Appeal from the Order of the Superior Court entered January 6, 2004, at No. 2077 WDA 2002, affirming the Order of the Court of Common Pleas, Allegheny County, Civil Division entered October 28, 2002, at No. GD96-015689. ARGUED: September 20, 2004 CONCURRING OPINION MR. JUSTICE EAKIN DECIDED: March 29, 2005 I concur with the result in this case; however, I write separately because I believe the majority opinion is too far-reaching and, therefore, advisory in nature. The majority pronounces the proper rule of law: “an attorney can only bind his client to a settlement based on express authority.” Majority Slip Op., at 9. Here, the attorney for appellants did not have such express authority to settle the case; the attorney stated “I don’t have client consent” in the very voicemail construed below as an “offer.” As such, the majority’s thoughtful analysis balancing the equities in this case is an unnecessary step -- the absence of express authority ends the inquiry. In Rothman v. Fillette, 469 A.2d 543 (Pa. 1983), this Court was asked to determine which innocent party should bear the loss resulting from fraud perpetrated by [J-139-2004] - 2 Rothman’s attorney. Id., at 544. Here, there was no fraud perpetrated upon either party, and there was no loss; one party merely tried to benefit from the statements of another’s counsel made during settlement negotiations. Insofar as that decision has been interpreted to allow apparent authority to bind the client in a case without fraud, it is rightly rejected. However, as the finding that apparent authority existed here is in error, resolving this issue might better wait for another day. Mr. Justice Baer joined.