Opinion ID: 1789462
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Did the trial court exceed the requested relief when it ordered the removal of the feeding tube?

Text: The Knights lastly contend that the trial court erred by ordering that the feeding tube sustaining Mrs. Cameron be removed. They argue that they sought only to enjoin the implementation of Mrs. Cameron's living will and that the trial court exceeded the scope of their requested relief. However, the record indicates that Mr. Cameron filed a motion to intervene and that the trial court granted that motion. The Knights subsequently moved to have Mr. Cameron added as a defendant and the trial court also granted that motion. During the trial court's first hearing, Mr. Cameron testified as follows: Q. Based upon your many years of being married to Delores and your discussions with her and with others concerning whether you would ever want to be sustained on life support, is it your opinion that Delores, if she could communicate with us now, would advise that she did not want to be kept A. She would say why are you doing this to me. Let me go and be with my Lord and Saviour is exactly what she would say. Q. And are you here in this court today asking that the Judge respect [Mrs. Cameron's] wishes as set forth in her living will? A. Right. She has spelled it out. By these statements, Mr. Cameron essentially requested the trial court to allow the implementation of Mrs. Cameron's living will. Opposing counsel made no objection to his request. Rule 15(b), Ala. R. Civ. P., which addresses amended and supplemental pleadings, states: (b) Amendments to Conform to the Evidence. When issues not raised by the pleadings are tried by express or implied consent of the parties, they shall be treated in all respects as if they had been raised in the pleadings. Such amendment of the pleadings as may be necessary to cause them to conform to the evidence and to raise these issues may be made upon motion of any party at any time, even after judgment; but failure so to amend does not affect the result of the trial of these issues. If evidence is objected to at the trial on the ground that it is not within the issues made by the pleadings, the court may allow the pleadings to be amended and shall do so freely when the presentation of the merits of the action will be subserved thereby and the objecting party fails to satisfy the court that the admission of such evidence would prejudice the party in maintaining the party's action or defense upon the merits. The court may grant a continuance to enable the objecting party to meet such evidence. An amendment shall not be refused under subdivision (a) and (b) of this rule solely because it adds a claim or defense, changes a claim or defense, or works a complete change in parties. The Court is to be liberal in granting permission to amend when justice so requires. In applying Rule 15(b) to a similar procedural situation, this Court stated: United Companies and Seale counter with the argument that the complaint's allegation of fraud did not include the aspect testified to by Mrs. Holcombe. However, no objection was made to Mrs. Holcombe's testimony, so the complaint may be deemed amended by consent, Rule 15(b), Ala. R. Civ. P., and [the] trial court did not err in submitting the fraud claim to the jury. United Cos. Fin. Corp. v. Brown, 584 So.2d 470, 473 (Ala.1991). Likewise, in this case, once Mr. Cameron requested the trial court to respect Mrs. Cameron's wishes as expressed in her living will, and because the Knights' counsel made no objection, the trial court properly considered Mr. Cameron's request and granted the relief requested. In summary, we affirm the judgment of the trial court insofar as it determined that Mrs. Cameron had a valid living will; insofar as it implicitly determined that she understood the contents of that living will; and insofar as it determined that it could properly grant the relief Mr. Cameron requested. We remand the case for the trial court to enter an order stating whether its finding that Mrs. Cameron is in a persistent vegetative state, as defined in her living will, or in a permanent unconscious state, as defined in § 22-8A-3(10), was supported by clear and convincing evidence. The trial court is further instructed to make its return to this Court within 14 days. AFFIRMED IN PART AND REMANDED. MOORE, C.J., and SEE, BROWN, and STUART, JJ., concur.