Opinion ID: 2614564
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: trial court's refusal to give proposed jury instruction

Text: ¶10 Collins first contends that the trial court erred in its refusal to give his proposed jury instruction addressing the continuous treatment rule. The proposed instruction reads as follows: If the treatment of the physician is a continuing course and the patient's illness, injury or condition is of such a nature as to impose on the doctor a duty of continuing treatment and care, the statute of limitations does not commence running until treatment by the doctor has terminated, unless during treatment the plaintiff learns or should have learned of the malpractice, in which case the statute runs from the time of discovery. See also 1 David W. Louisell & Harold Williams, Medical Malpractice ¶ 13.02(3) at 13-43 to -45 (defining rule in similar terms). In sum, this rule would allow the statute of limitations to begin running only after the termination of treatment by the doctor for the particular disease or condition involved. If the patient learns of the negligence during the time of treatment, however, the discovery rule applies and the statute of limitations begins to run accordingly. Under this rule, the applicable statute of limitations is tolled in part because the trust inherent in a doctor-patient relationship may inhibit a patient's ability to discover acts that amount to malpractice. See Haberle v. Buchwald, 480 N.W.2d 351, 354 (Minn.Ct.App.1992) (finding need for continuous treatment rule because trust-based relationship may inhibit patient's ability to discover malpractice); Miller v. United States, 932 F.2d 301, 304 (4th Cir.1991) (holding that discovery rule may deprive patient of right to place trust and confidence in physician). ¶11 In his brief, Collins has correctly noted that Utah courts have not yet considered the continuous treatment rule. [9] The time may come when a Utah appellate court must examine this rule in depth. However, we need not do so today. ¶12 Even assuming that we recognized the continuous treatment rule, the facts of this case would not satisfy the rule's requirements. The post-surgery interaction between Dr. Wilson and Collins was minimal. For an eighteen-month period, Dr. Wilson was not actively involved in treating Collins except to authorize prescription refills. Merely continuing to authorize prescription refills is in no way indicative of a doctor-patient relationship that suppresses a potential plaintiff's opportunity to become aware of the alleged malpractice. That policy justification for a continuous treatment rule is absent here. ¶13 During the eighteen-month period, Collins instead consulted two gastroenterology specialists for treatment of his continuing digestive problems. It was these doctors, Drs. Hutson and Box, to whom Collins expressed his dissatisfaction with the results of Dr. Wilson's surgery. Furthermore, it was these doctors who indicated that the surgery may have played some part in Collins' continuing problems. Based on the foregoing, we reject Collins' first assignment of error.