Opinion ID: 1727617
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Exclusivity of Wisconsin Statute Chapter 655

Text: ¶ 23 Chapter 655 of the Wisconsin Statutes was enacted in 1975 in response to a perceived economic and social crisis. State ex rel. Strykowski v. Wilkie, 81 Wis.2d 491, 499, 509, 261 N.W.2d 434 (1978). It established an exclusive procedure for the prosecution of malpractice claims against a health care provider. Wis. Stat. §§ 655.006, 655.007; Strykowski, 81 Wis.2d at 499, 261 N.W.2d 434. Every patient and every patient's representative shall be conclusively presumed to be bound by the provisions of the chapter regardless of injury or death. Rineck, 155 Wis.2d at 665, 456 N.W.2d 336. Over the years, courts have grappled with the impact of the exclusivity of Chapter 655 and whether statutory provisions not referenced by or incorporated into Chapter 655 may be applied to medical malpractice actions. ¶ 24 One line of cases supports the proposition that Chapter 655 precludes from application those statutory provisions not expressly referred to in that chapter. Dziadosz v. Zirneski, 177 Wis.2d 59, 63, 501 N.W.2d 828 (Ct.App.1993) (citing Rineck, 155 Wis.2d at 666-67, 456 N.W.2d 336 (We do not believe that the legislature would have taken pains to specifically refer to particular statutes . . . if it intended to incorporate without mention other miscellaneous general provisions, such as § 895.04(4).)); see also Jelinek v. St. Paul Fire & Cas. Ins. Co., 182 Wis.2d 1, 9-10, 512 N.W.2d 764 (1994), superseded by statute, 1995 Wis. Act 10, § 10 (codified at Wis. Stat. § 893.55(4)(f), as recognized in Czapinski, 236 Wis.2d 316, ¶ 16, 613 N.W.2d 120). This interpretation of exclusivity would not only limit medical malpractice claimants to the list in Wis. Stat. § 655.007 but also prevent any incorporation of general statutory provisions not referenced in Chapter 655. It would bar Lornson's claim as personal representative of her father's estate because Chapter 655 does not contain its own survival provisions or incorporate survival provisions from Chapter 895. It would also bar any claim she had as an adult child of Janice Sanders because Chapter 655 does not include an adult child as an eligible claimant and does not incorporate the eligible claimants provision of Wis. Stat. § 895.04(2). ¶ 25 There is, however, another line of cases that supports the proposition that Chapter 655 is not totally self-contained and that statutory provisions may be applied in medical malpractice cases if they do not conflict with Chapter 655. See Storm v. Legion Ins. Co., 2003 WI 120, ¶ 33-35, 265 Wis.2d 169, 665 N.W.2d 353; Hoffman v. Memorial Hosp. of Iowa County, 196 Wis.2d 505, 513-14, 538 N.W.2d 627 (Ct.App.1995). In Storm, the court stated that: Numerous statutes, including civil procedure and discovery statutes, that are not located in Chapter 655 apply to claims brought for medical malpractice. . . . Rineck stands for the proposition that if general statutory provisions conflict with Chapter 655, the latter will trump the general statute. Storm, 265 Wis.2d 169, ¶¶ 34-35, 665 N.W.2d 353 (internal citations omitted). If we accept the view that ch. 655, Stats., is self-contained, subject to no outside rules of practice and procedure, there would be no discovery, summary judgment, or amendment of pleadings in medical malpractice cases because ch. 655 does not mention those procedures. Hoffman, 196 Wis.2d at 514, 538 N.W.2d 627. This second line of cases permits consideration of statutory provisions that do not conflict with the specific provisions or general purposes of Chapter 655. ¶ 26 As we interpret statutes, we are mindful of our obligation, first, to apply the plain language of a statute so long as it does not produce a plainly absurd result, and, second, when the statute is ambiguous, to seek out and faithfully apply legislative intent. Teschendorf v. State Farm Ins. Co., 2006 WI 89, ¶ 15, 293 Wis.2d 123, 717 N.W.2d 258. We do not discern the language of Chapter 655 to prohibit the applicability of general statutes if these statutes complement and do not conflict with Chapter 655. Against this background, we turn to Wis. Stat. § 895.04(2) to determine whether the statute complements or conflicts with Chapter 655.