Opinion ID: 1095654
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: declaration

Text: 1. The adult Plaintiff, ERNEST R. COUCH, N.C.M., files this suit by his adult daughter and next friend, RUTHIE JEROME SCARBROUGH, and shows the Court that the Plaintiff and the adult Defendants are all resident citizens of Lauderdale County, Mississippi, where the cause of action sued on occurred. The adult Defendants are DR. JAMES T. CHAMPION and DR. RAMINO J. MARTINEZ. 2. On or about September 25, 1976, the Plaintiff had been a patient at East Mississippi State Hospital for more than one year, and for a long period of time prior to that date had been under the constant care and treatment of DR. RAMINO J. MARTINEZ and DR. JAMES T. CHAMPION. At all times mentioned in this Declaration, the said DR. RAMINO J. MARTINEZ was the agent and servant of DR. JAMES T. CHAMPION, acting in the scope of his authority and in furtherance of the business of DR. JAMES T. CHAMPION. 3. For a long period of time prior to said date, and including said date, the said ERNEST R. COUCH had gangrene and this fact was well known by both Defendants and both Defendants had been advised by Competent medical doctors and others that he was in need of hospitalization and treatment that could not be afforded at East Mississippi State Hospital, and that he should be at a Hospital such as Riley Memorial Hospital, or some other qualified hospital. For a long period of time, prior to said date, his gangrene condition had been permitted to become worse by the negligence on the part of DR. RAMINO J. MARTINEZ and DR. JAMES T. CHAMPION, to an extent the flesh cleaved from the bones on both legs and lower extremities, and so that his infection became grave and stayed in an infectuous stage and his temperature rose to more than 105 degrees. The said DR. RAMINO J. MARTINEZ and DR. JAMES T. CHAMPION, both negligently failed to provide competent medical attention for the Plaintiff, and both negligently failed to have his gangrene properly treated and cared for and both negligently permitted him to suffer and his leg condition to go untreated, and his gangrene condition to not properly be treated. Finally, on September 25, 1976, over the objections of Defendants, by the hard efforts of the family of Plaintiff, the Plaintiff was removed to F.G. Riley Memorial Hospital, where it became necessary for both of his legs to be amputated immediately, and the infection cared for, and proper medical attention administered by doctors. 4. Both Defendants negligently failed to provide proper medical attention for Plaintiff; both Defendants negligently permitted Plaintiff to suffer with gangrene for a long period of time without properly having same cared for; both Defendants negligently failed to heed the advice of competent medical doctors, who advised them that he was in need of hospitalization and treatment at other institutions; both Defendants negligently failed to care for his infection and give him proper care and treatment so that his legs could be saved without amputation and his infection not be great, and so that his temperature would not stay at such heighth; and both Defendants both negligently failed to give proper medical attention to an extent that it endangered the very life of Plaintiff, and this was done in a willful and grossly negligent manner; and both Defendants negligently failed to see that Plaintiff received proper nursing and medical care so that he was not toilet facilities and not properly bathed, cleaned, and nursed, and cared for; and both negligently refused to furnish the services of the ambulance owned by the East Mississippi State Hospital to transport Plaintiff to a proper hospital where he could be cared for by proper doctors; and both Defendants both negligently failed to release the Plaintiff from the Hospital, so that he could be cared and treated for at some other Hospital and by other doctors because of the Code of Ethics of the Hospital and doctors not wanting to receive a patient when the other doctors and hospitals were claiming to properly care for him, even though they were not properly caring for him. 5. As a direct and proximate result of the gross carelessness and negligence of Defendants aforesaid, the Plaintiff has suffered a large amount of pain and suffering, and will continue to suffer a large amount of pain and suffering in the future because of the negligence of Defendants aforesaid; and Plaintiff has incurred a large amount of medical, doctor bills, hospital bills and drug expenses, and will continue to incur such expenses in the future because of the negligence of Defendants aforesaid; and Plaintiff has lost wages and income and will continue to do so in the future because of the negligence and carelessness of Defendants aforesaid; and Plaintiff has lost both legs and permanent injuries to his body as a whole because of the gross negligence and carelessness of Defendants aforesaid. 6. All of the injuries and damages of Plaintiff are the direct and proximate result of the gross carelessness and negligence of Defendants aforesaid, and Plaintiff is entitled to recover punitive damages in this matter. 7. Plaintiff brings this suit and demands judgment against Defendants, jointly and severally, in the sum of THREE MILLION DOLLARS ($3,000,000.00), actual and punitive damages, together with all Court costs in this case. ERNEST R. COUCH, N.C.M., BY RUTHIE JEROME SCARBROUGH, NEXT FRIEND, ALL BY THEIR ATTORNEY, LAUREL G. WEIR, Box 156, Philadelphia, Mississippi 39350: (s) Laurel G. Weir LAUREL G. WEIR