Opinion ID: 2332538
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Walter's Delay in Having her Blood Tested

Text: [¶ 30] Although Wal-Mart has not argued that Walter's delay in obtaining the blood test was negligence, the same reasoning applies to the blood test as to the failure to report immediately the bruising and skin rash. Wal-Mart's expert testified that Walter could not be blamed for waiting twenty-three days for the blood test because she did not know the significance of a blood test. He testified that only if a patient is given a specific appointment for the blood test, which Walter was not, and then failed to keep that appointment could she be faulted. Dr. Ross did not tell Walter the importance of the blood test. Walter should not and could not be expected to know the medical significance of the blood test. Thus, not only was there no evidence from which the jury could find that Walter was negligent in this regard, no jury, acting rationally, could conclude that a delay in obtaining the blood test was negligence equal to or greater than Wal-Mart's negligence. That being so, the only possibility left to a jury was a reduction in damages, and the mitigation instruction fully gave the jury the ability to reduce damages.