Opinion ID: 1112080
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: costs in relation to the eaton deposition.

Text: Norris contends that the trial court erred in awarding Gatts $1,000.00 in costs in redeposing Dr. Eaton because Eaton, a physician hired by Norris for a second opinion, was wrongfully retained as an expert witness for Gatts, and that his testimony violated the fiduciary nature of his relationship to Norris. [9] The trial court addressed these contentions and, on the basis of Trans-world Investments v. Drobny, 554 P.2d 1148 (Alaska 1976) and Arctic Motor Freight, Inc. v. Stover, 571 P.2d 1006 (Alaska 1977) found these contentions groundless. The court sanctioned Norris and awarded the additional $1,000.00 for a second deposition. In Mathis v. Hilderbrand, 416 P.2d 8 (Alaska 1966), and later in Trans-world and Arctic, we found that the filing of a personal injury action waives the physician-patient privilege as to all information concerning the health and medical history relevant to the matters which the plaintiff has put in issue. The scope of the waiver extends to all matters pertinent to the plaintiff's claim, including but not limited to those matters the relevancy of which is based on historical or causal connection. Further, the court indicated that relevancy here was to be interpreted in light of Alaska Rule of Civil Procedure 26(b)(1). [10] Trans-world, 554 P.2d at 1151; Arctic, 571 P.2d at 1008-09. Viewing Gatts' request of Dr. Eaton to testify regarding the consistency or inconsistency of his findings with the diagnosis of Norris' other treating physicians in this light, these questions appear well within the permissible scope of relevancy based on historical or causal connection for purposes of cross-examination in this case. Thus, the trial court's finding and sanctions against Norris are well justified especially in view of the fact that Gatts would foreseeably either have been deprived of Eaton's testimony or forced to assume the cost because of Norris' spurious claim. It is well established in this state that the award of costs for depositions is in the sound discretion of the trial judge. See Kaps Transport, Inc. v. Henry, 572 P.2d 72, 79 (Alaska 1977); Beaulieu v. Elliott, 434 P.2d 665, 678 (Alaska 1967). The costs assessed were not unreasonable. The trial court did not abuse its discretion.