Opinion ID: 2433995
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Co.

Text: Other than its adoption of co-appellants' arguments which are discussed elsewhere, St. Paul raises only the issue of whether there was evidence sufficient to go to the jury showing negligence on the part of Lee Memorial Hospital. St. Paul's argument is that the appellees did not establish by competent medical witnesses that the alleged failures of the hospital to meet the requisite standard of care existed and were a proximate cause of death. Our task is not, however, to determine those questions. Rather, it is to determine whether there was sufficient evidence produced by the appellees to permit the case to go to the jury. See Chrestman v. Kendall, 247 Ark. 802, 448 S.W.2d 22 (1969). There was ample testimony, albeit disputed, that the hospital left Melinda unattended after she was placed in a room on her second visit to the hospital. Dr. DeAlvarez, a medical expert witness for the appellees, testified that failure to attend a post-seizuring patient continuously was below the reasonable standard of care for a hospital in a community similar to Marianna, Arkansas, which is where Lee Memorial Hospital is located. He said this failure among others would have contributed to Melinda's death. The evidence also tended to show the hospital was at fault in not getting Dr. Kelley to the hospital sooner after Melinda's second admission. Dr. Kelley testified that when he was called by Nurse Marty Roberts upon Melinda's return to the hospital, he was not informed that Melinda had suffered a seizure, although Roberts's notes showed Presents with complaint of choking on tongue, seven months pregnant now. Apparently seizuring activity. Dr. Kelley notified. Admit, I'll be there later. Dr. Kelley testified that had he been told Melinda had suffered a seizure he would have come to the hospital much quicker. From the medical expert testimony the jury could have concluded Melinda's death was caused by the effect of the seizures which temporarily stopped the flow of oxygen to her brain. Had nurses been in continuous attendance, they could have facilitated Melinda's breathing in the second and third seizures. Had Dr. Kelley arrived sooner he could have prescribed for her sooner. There was thus sufficient evidence for the jury to find negligence on the part of the hospital and that it was the proximate cause of Melinda's death.