Opinion ID: 888136
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Physical and Mental Condition

Text: ¶26 Trail's End argues that Frances suffered from the affects of Alzheimer's disease at the time that she executed the amendments to her 1996 Trust Agreement and Will in 2000. Trail's End contends that this diminished mental state left her susceptible to undue influence. Testimony from people who knew Frances, however, reveal that Frances remained physically active and independent during the time in question. Frances lived independently, first in a condominium, and then in an independent living retirement community. Frances was admitted to the hospital briefly for heart trouble in 1999, but her medical records indicate that she was alert, oriented, and looked much younger than her 90 years. The medical records also indicate that Frances had not required any medical attention during the previous 30 years. She had no other physical ailments until she suffered a broken hip in 2002. ¶27 Friends also described Frances as mentally sharp and strong-willed even into her 90's. Stusek described her as a pragmatic kind of woman of steely determination, and stated that he had no concerns about Frances's mental capacity when he amended her Trust in 1999. Rigler also stated that Frances was in complete control of her faculties when he met with her to review her 2000 Trust Agreement. In fact, Trail's End admits that the medical records and apparent actions by Mrs. Barker seem to indicate that she was in control of her decisions. Dr. Wickstrom did not diagnose Frances with Alzheimer's until late 2003. Trail's End failed to provide evidence that establishes that Frances suffered any decline in her mental condition leaving her susceptible to undue influence at the time she executed the documents in 2000. ¶28 Trail's End offered the deposition testimony of Dr. Roger Williams (Dr. Williams) in an attempt to establish that Frances suffered from the effects of Alzheimer's disease at the time she made changes to her 1996 Trust Agreement and Will. Wells Fargo moved to exclude Dr. Williams's testimony on the grounds that his opinion was speculative because he never met or examined Frances. The District Court considered Dr. Williams's deposition testimony and correctly concluded that his testimony presented only speculation as to Frances's mental condition in 2000 . Ike v. Jefferson Nat. Life Ins. Co., 267 Mont. 396, 402, 884 P.2d 471, 475 (1994). In Ike, this Court determined that a doctor's testimony failed to present an issue of material fact on the basis that the doctor never met or examined the patient and only could speculate as to the cause of death. Ike, 267 Mont. at 402, 884 P.2d at 475. ¶29 Similarly, Dr. Williams never met or examined Frances and she never had undergone a neuropsychological evaluation for him to review. Dr. Williams opined that Frances probably suffered some intellectual decline, but he could not state a level of impairment with a reasonable degree of medical certainty. Dr. Williams's testimony represents his speculation as to Frances's mental condition based on literature regarding the rate of intellectual decline of Alzheimer's patients. Speculative statements, however, are insufficient to raise genuine issues of material fact. Ike, 267 Mont. at 402, 884 P.2d at 475. Instead, the testimony from the individuals who knew Frances revealed that she was healthy, self-sufficient, aware, and actively involved in her investments.