Opinion ID: 2584655
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Amicus CuriaeKansas Association of Defense Counsel

Text: Kansas Association of Defense Counsel (KADC) fleshes out the defendant's argument that simply restoring a plaintiff to his or her preinjury status is fair. KADC acknowledges Section 920A of the Restatement and how it effectively bars any argument that plaintiff's damages should be reduced by the $4,689 paid by Coventry to the hospital on her behalf. It argues, however, that the real issue before us is the value of plaintiff's medical expenses. It cites comment h of Restatement (Second) of Torts § 911 in support of its position that the appropriate compensation for injured plaintiffs is the amount actually paid on the bill: here, $5,310. That comment states: When the plaintiff seeks to recover for expenditures made or liability incurred to third persons for services rendered, normally the amount recovered is the reasonable value of the services rather than the amount paid or charged. If, however, the injured person paid less than the exchange rate, he can recover no more than the amount paid, except when the low rate was intended as a gift to him. KADC next argues that plaintiff's benefit of the bargain concept does not apply to write-offs because the plaintiff plays no role in the bargaining process. It contends that a consumer who contracts for health insurance seeks only to have the insurance carrier bear the brunt of the consumer's medical expenses, whatever they turn out to be. According to KADC, an insurance carrier's ability to negotiate with medical providers to reduce the amount the carrier is required to pay in order to satisfy its obligation to the consumer, is a benefit to the carriernot the consumer. KADC also points out that the basic principle of damages is to make the plaintiff whole, not to grant a windfall. It observes that the collateral source rule itself operates as an exception to that basic principle, since it allows an injured party to recover damages, which the party itself did not pay. According to KADC, however, allowing the plaintiff to recover not only the expenses paid by other sources but also expenses not paid by any source, amounts to a super-windfall for which there is no public policy justification. KADC further takes exception to the suggestion that limiting the plaintiff's recovery to the actual expenses paid effectively grants the tortfeasor a windfall. It contends that the tortfeasor is still responsible for the entire amount of the plaintiff's medical expenses paidwhether or not these expenses were actually paid by the plaintiff, e.g., through private insurance. KADC argues that this result is fair because the amount originally billed by the medical provider is an inflated rate, not the reasonable value of services. Finally, KADC argues that if the sticker pricethe original amount billedis admitted into evidence, then the amount actually paid to satisfy that bill should also be admitted. It contends that only then would the jury be able to determine the reasonable value of the services provided.