Opinion ID: 2385360
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Appellant can establish a prima facie case of lack of informed consent through the expert testimony of defendant physicians and defense witnesses without introducing independent medical testimony

Text: Appellant contends that plaintiff, in a medical malpractice case, can establish a prima facie case of lack of informed consent through the expert testimony of defendant physicians and defense witnesses without calling independent experts. The application of the District of Columbia's adverse witness statute, considerations of public policy and fairness, as well as the fact that such is the law in a substantial majority, if not all, other jurisdictions, indicate the validity of appellant's contentions. See Anderson v. Florence, 288 Minn. 351, 181 N.W.2d 873 (1970) (J. Nogosheske) (for an especially scholarly discussion of this issue). See, e.g., the following negligent treatment cases: LaRocque v. LaMarche, 130 Vt. 311, 292 A.2d 259 (1972); Console v. Nickou, 156 Conn. 268, 240 A.2d 895 (1968); McDermott v. Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital, 15 N.Y.2d 20, 255 N.Y.S.2d 65, 203 N.E.2d 469 (1964); State v. Brainin, 224 Md. 156, 167 A.2d 117 (1961); Lawless v. Calaway, 24 Cal.2d 81, 147 P.2d 604 (1944) (cited in reverse chronological order). See also the following informed consent cases: Canterbury v. Spence, supra, 150 U.S.App.D.C. at 282-83, 464 F.2d at 791-92; Calabrese v. Trenton State College, 413 A.2d 315 (N.J.1980); Sauro v. Shea, 390 A.2d 259 (Pa.1978); Wilkinson v. Vesey, 110 R.I. 606, 295 A.2d 676, 688-89 (1972). The adverse witness statute of the District of Columbia states that a party or a party's witness in a civil suit may be called as a witness by his adversary and questioned as to matters relevant to the dispute at issue. [1] The statute makes no exception for information acquired by special training or rendering professional services. Moreover, such an exception would be at odds with the remedial nature and purpose of the adverse witness rule, which is intended to ensure that persons who are eyewitnesses to and participants in the event giving rise to an action fully disclose all matters pertinent and relevant to the issues in dispute. See, e.g., Lawless v. Calaway, 24 Cal.2d at 85-86, 147 P.2d at 608-09; State v. Brainin, 224 Md. at 161-62, 167 A.2d at 119-20; McDermott, 15 N.Y.2d at 28, 255 N.Y.S.2d at 72, 203 N.E.2d at 474. See also 2 S. GARD, JONES ON EVIDENCE § 14-18 (6th ed. 1972). Despite the clear implications of the adverse witness statute, appellees argue that allowing plaintiff to prove a malpractice case solely through defense witnesses is unfair to defendant physicians and will encourage frivolous lawsuits. Whatever may be the validity generally (or lack thereof) of the argument that a lawyer or his client has unfairly avoided the bother and expense of using his own independent experts, this argument has no merit where the witness is not an expert hired by the adversary but is the adversary himself or defense witnesses actually involved in the events from which the claim arose. See Anderson v. Florence, supra, 181 N.W.2d at 879; Oleksiw v. Weidener, 2 Ohio St.2d 147, 207 N.E.2d 375 (1965). Defendants in a civil suit, unlike a criminal case, have no inherent right to remain silent or to answer only those inquiries which will have no adverse effect on their case. McDermott, 15 N.Y.2d at 28, 255 N.Y.S.2d at 72, 203 N.E.2d at 474. Nor do witnesses with personal knowledge of relevant facts have a right to refuse to testify on the ground that the answer will be expert evidence and they have received no expert witness fee. JONES ON EVIDENCE, supra, at § 14-18. To meet the expert testimony requirement of Crain, supra, Abbey must establish, through expert testimony, the presence and type of risks associated with abortions. The parties in this case, however, do not dispute the existence and nature of risks in an abortion. The appellees allege that Abbey was fully informed of the risks of abortion; whereas Abbey alleges she received no information. Thus, the cogent question in this case is one of credibility, traditionally the province of the jury, and the need for and role of expert testimony is extremely limited. Indeed, some courts have treated defendants' testimony of full disclosure as an admission of their duty to disclose that eliminates the need for expert testimony. See Mitchell v. Robinson, 334 S.W.2d 11 (Mo.1960); Woods v. Brumlop, 77 N.M. 221, 377 P.2d 520 (1962). Assuming, however, that appellant must establish risk by expert testimony, Abbey need only question defendants or defense witnesses who are experts. As already discussed, the physicians who were participants or eyewitnesses in the events leading to this cause of action cannot refuse to testify on pertinent and relevant issues merely because their information is the result of professional training. D.C.Code § 14-301 (1981). The primary purpose of the expert testimony requirement is not to screen unjust claims, but rather to aid the jury in reaching a just decision on complex, technical issues. Allowing plaintiffs in the appropriate case to prove a malpractice claim through the expert testimony of defendant physician or defense witnesses is not only consistent with the purposes of the expert testimony requirement and the adverse witness rule, but ensures, as far as possible, that a patient's just claim will not fail for want of available independent medical testimony.