Opinion ID: 1303215
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: second cause of action against defendant john d. gillis

Text: Plaintiff alleges that during the time he was under this defendant's care, the defendant represented to him that it was reasonable to expect a cure of his left leg; that it was not necessary to repair and restore the severed and ligated artery in order to effect a cure; that he knew the condition of the leg without taking X-rays thereof; that all the old accumulated blood and pus would adequately drain from the incisions in the calf; that no infection was then present; that plaintiff believed these representations to be true and relied thereon. Plaintiff alleges that his leg was amputated by defendant Gillis on September 22, 1949, at about midthigh; that he is informed and believes that with the application of the proper knowledge and skill the left leg could have been saved. Plaintiff alleges that during all the time defendants were caring for him, he was in no condition to make an investigation and had no means of discovering why his left leg was not cured; that the defendants led him to believe at all times prior to September 2, 1949, that his leg would be cured. Plaintiff alleges that on August 2, 1950, the State Compensation Insurance Fund of California served upon him copies of reports made by certain of these defendants (Shultz, Meier, Ferree and Gillis) which showed that the popliteal artery, and not one of the branches, had been damaged; that the X-ray taken on May 5, 1949, disclosed that ostitis, periostitis, possibly approaching the Osteomyelitis stage had developed in the left leg and had infected the bones thereof; that on September 16, 1949, the infection had spread throughout the tibia and fibula of the left leg as far as the knee joint and that the knee joint and lower part of the femur were infected. As to all defendants, it is alleged that plaintiff had no information or belief as to when his leg became infected; or as to which defendant was treating him at the time; that all defendants contributed to his infection and neglected to combat or cure the same; that none of the defendants ever consulted him concerning his case or the treatment thereof; that all the defendants were careless, negligent and unskillful in diagnosing plaintiff's case and in prescribing for and treating him and his left leg; that all the defendants lacked the necessary knowledge and skill to properly diagnose plaintiff's case and properly prescribe for and treat him and his left leg; that the acts and omissions of the defendants were the direct and proximate cause of great and irreparable loss and damage unto plaintiff. As to all defendants it is alleged that their representations were made by them without reasonable grounds upon which to base them and that said representations were false; that had he known the falsity thereof, he would have required the services of competent physicians and surgeons to care for him; that had he known the facts disclosed by the reports, he would have commenced this action for damages well within one year of the commission by the defendants of the acts and omissions complained of. All defendants demurred, either singly, or in groups, on the grounds that no cause of action had been stated; that several causes of action were not separately stated; that the complaint was uncertain, ambiguous and unintelligible in specified particulars; and that plaintiff's cause of action, if any, was barred by the provisions of section 340(3) of the Code of Civil Procedure.