Opinion ID: 2204066
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Dillings' Case

Text: After Doe rested her case, the Dillings presented evidence and witnesses on their own behalf. Betty testified that she did not know that Albert had HIV until after his diagnosis by Dr. Waitley in November 1999 when Doe called her and told her the news. Betty was devastated. By summer 1999, Kirk had experienced two strokes and Betty had acted as his nurse during that period. Betty had offered to care for Albert in her home, but Doe refused the offer because Doe wanted to care for Albert herself. From 1996 through mid-1999, all Betty knew about Albert's health was that he had heavy-metal poisoning. Then, in mid-1999, Betty was told that Albert had been diagnosed with Lyme disease. Betty acknowledged telling Doe that Albert would get better. When Doe suggested that Albert go to the Mayo Clinic, Betty said no because Betty trusted the doctors that Albert was seeing. Further, Albert had no health insurance and Betty thought it would be prohibitively expensive. Betty denied that after Albert and Doe returned from Michigan Doe asked her if Albert had AIDS. Doe told Betty about Albert's illness and having to take him to the emergency room. Doe never raised with her the topic of AIDS prior to Albert's diagnosis in November 1999. Betty denied that the conversation that Walgreen had testified to ever took place. Although Walgreen maintained that the conversation occurred in the sun room, that room is unheated and would not have been used in November, the time he said the discussion occurred. In addition, Kirk was using a walker at that time and it would have been with great difficulty that he would have been in that room because he would have had to go down a step. At that time Kirk had been uneasy and afraid of thresholds and steps. Victoria Dilling's evidence deposition was also read to the jury as part of the Dillings' case. Victoria denied that the conversation testified to by Walgreen took place. Her parents never had conversations in the sunroom of their home, as it was not a comfortable room and they would only use it occasionally at the times they wanted to go outside. Victoria stated that Kirk was afraid to go down the stairs in his wheelchair, which was necessary to get to the sunroom. In addition, the sunroom was not heated, so it was not used in the winter. In the 20 years that she and Walgreen were married, they never had any conversation with her parents about sex. Further, the divorce proceedings between her and Walgreen were extremely difficult. Victoria was unaware that her brother Albert had AIDS prior to his diagnosis by Dr. Waitley in November 1999. Dr. Finlayson also testified at trial on behalf of defendants. Doe first came to see him for treatment on March 2, 2000. At that time she was HIV-positive but asymptomatic. Dr. Finlayson, a family practitioner, performed a series of diagnostic tests on Doe. He found Doe to be a rapid progressor with respect to the disease, and he opined that if Doe would have started treatment earlier after being infected, it would have been the most optimal at that point. At the close of all the evidence, the Dillings moved for a directed verdict on both the fraudulent- and the negligent-misrepresentation counts. The circuit court entered a directed verdict for defendants on the negligent-misrepresentation count. The circuit court also entered a directed verdict for the Dillings on Doe's claim for punitive damages with respect to the fraudulent-misrepresentation count. The circuit court thereafter allowed the fraudulent-misrepresentation count to go to the jury, which subsequently returned a verdict in favor of Doe and against the Dillings on the fraudulent-misrepresentation count. The jury awarded Doe $2 million in compensatory damages. The circuit court thereafter entered judgment on the verdict, and denied the parties' posttrial motions.