Opinion ID: 2192768
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Hermann v Haney

Text: Barbara Hermann and her husband, Michael Hermann, commenced this action on March 29, 1978. They alleged that Barbara Hermann had been involved in an automobile accident on July 25, 1975, caused by defendants' negligence. She sought damages for her injuries, and her husband sought damages for loss of consortium. The complaint contained allegations that plaintiff had suffered injuries to her back, neck, head, shoulders, arms, and legs, as well as abrasions, contusions, and headaches. Plaintiffs further alleged that she had suffered a serious impairment of body function. Defendants took Barbara Hermann's deposition. She testified that in the accident her head hit the windshield and her legs hit the dashboard. She was unconscious briefly, but regained consciousness when the police arrived. She was taken by ambulance to the Wayne County General Hospital, where x-rays were taken, and she was given one pain pill for her head and released. She testified that she had suffered a bump on her head and bruises on her knees from the accident, but no other visible signs of injury. The bump on her head cleared up in one month, and the bruises in two months. The bruises did not cause difficulty for her. They were neither painful nor did they prevent standing or sitting. However, she testified in the deposition that two days after the accident her neck and back began to bother her. Upon the recommendation of her attorney, she went to see Dr. Rosenberg. She visited Dr. Rosenberg's office nine times in approximately the month following the accident, and each time received a treatment with hot pads for her back and neck. No medication was prescribed. Her medical bill was $185. Upon Dr. Rosenberg's recommendation, she stopped working. She was an operator for Michigan Bell and would experience pain if she would sit too long. She stayed at home in bed, and did no housecleaning. When she started feeling better approximately one month after the accident, she returned to work and was also able to resume housework. Her neck and back bothered her a little bit when she returned to work, but she was able to work a full shift, and none of her activities were restricted. Within two months after the accident, she had no problems with her back and neck. Apart from Dr. Rosenberg and other doctors in his office, she saw no other physician regarding her injuries. After taking Barbara Hermann's deposition, defendants separately filed motions for summary judgment, pursuant to GCR 1963, 117.2(1) and (3). Defendants contended that her deposition indicated that she had not suffered a serious impairment of body function. The trial judge granted summary judgment for defendants and dismissed plaintiff's cause of action. In denying plaintiff's request to vacate the judgment when considering plaintiff's motion for rehearing, the trial judge stated, For you to be allowed to continue to institute these types of cases as set forth in your complaint, as set forth in your motion for    rehearing, would be entirely contrary to the whole theory of no-fault. Plaintiffs appealed to the Court of Appeals, arguing that the question whether Barbara Hermann's injuries met the threshold of serious impairment of body function was a question of fact for the jury. The Court of Appeals affirmed, Hermann v Haney, 98 Mich App 445; 296 NW2d 278 (1980). Judge MAHER, writing for affirmance, articulated the question as whether it can be said with certainty that no reasonable jury could view Mrs. Hermann's alleged impairment of body function as `serious' under MCL 500.3135; MSA 24.13135. See McKendrick v Petrucci, 71 Mich App 200; 247 NW2d 349 (1976). Noting several cases, however, in which the Court of Appeals had ruled as a matter of law that the threshold had not been met, he identified a nonexclusive list of factors pertinent to the determination: [E]ither the initial injury must be severe or the effects must be continuing  either permanent or longterm. Among the factors to be considered are the extent of the injury, treatment required, duration of disability, extent of residual impairment and prognosis for eventual recovery. 98 Mich App 449. In this case, he concluded that summary judgment was proper because plaintiff's injuries were neither severe nor longterm, required only minimal treatment, and left no residual impairment. Judge CYNAR concurred only in the result. Judge CAVANAGH dissented. Agreeing that this was the type of injury that the Legislature had intended to keep out of court, he nevertheless concluded that absent further definition of serious impairment of body function by this Court or the Legislature, the question, except in extreme cases, was for the trier of fact. Cassidy v McGovern Leo Cassidy and his wife, Ardith Cassidy, sued defendants alleging that they were entitled to damages for the noneconomic losses they suffered as a result of an automobile accident on August 8, 1975, in which Leo Cassidy was injured. Defendants admitted negligence and waived contributory negligence. The only issue in the jury trial held May 9-11, 1977, was whether Leo Cassidy's injuries met the threshold of serious impairment of body function under the no-fault act, and if so, the amount of damages. The evidence at trial indicated that as a result of the accident in which Leo Cassidy was thrown from the automobile, he suffered various injuries, including two broken bones in his lower right leg. He was taken by ambulance to Little Traverse Hospital and remained hospitalized there for the next 18 days. Dr. Kleinstiver, his treating physician since the night of the injury, testified that the fractures in both bones were complete, but did not break the skin. During the course of the seven months following the accident, Leo Cassidy wore four casts, the last being removed in March, 1976. During much of this time he used a walker, being unable to use crutches because of dizzy spells. Dr. Kleinstiver testified that x-rays taken on May 3, 1976, showed that the fractures had healed well and that there was no question that they had completely healed by April of 1977, the last time he saw the plaintiff. Leo Cassidy, on his visit to Dr. Kleinstiver in April of 1977, however, complained of pains in the area of the break that would come and go, but were more troublesome when he was active. Dr. Kleinstiver gave him medication for the soreness. Dr. Kleinstiver stated that those pains could possibly have been caused by the scar tissue that would accompany the healing of the bones. The doctor testified, though, that while Mr. Cassidy did seem to have a little trouble with his leg in April of 1977, basically Mr. Cassidy had returned to normal and there was no significant residual damage from the injury. Leo Cassidy testified that he is a potato farmer and that since the accident he has had to cut back on some of the activities incident to that type of work. He stated that his leg has continued to give him trouble and that it has returned only to about 50% of normal. The defendant's only witness was Dr. Hume, who examined Mr. Cassidy on December 17, 1976. He noticed that Mr. Cassidy walked with a limp, the authenticity of which Dr. Hume did not question. The x-rays he took, however, showed that the fractures were well-healed. From his examination of Mr. Cassidy, the leg appeared capable of normal activity. Dr. Hume had no explanation for the continuing soreness that Mr. Cassidy described to him, and he testified that he thought that the problem would clear up. At the close of proofs, plaintiffs moved for a directed verdict on the question whether there had been a serious impairment of body function. They argued that this question could be decided as a matter of law, and that only the question of damages should go to the jury. The trial judge concluded that the question was one of fact for the jury, and denied the motion. The case was then given to the jury, and the jury returned a verdict of no cause of action. Plaintiffs filed a motion for a new trial, which the trial court denied. On plaintiffs' appeal, the Court of Appeals concluded that the trial judge might have mistakenly been of the view that the question whether there was serious impairment of body function was always a question of fact for the jury. It remanded to the trial court with instructions that a directed verdict could be granted for plaintiffs if the injury was sufficient to meet the threshold of serious impairment of body function as a matter of law. Cassidy v McGovern, 86 Mich App 321; 272 NW2d 644 (1978). On remand, the trial judge again denied the motion for directed verdict, concluding that on the basis of the evidence presented reasonable people could differ concerning whether Leo Cassidy had suffered serious impairment of body function. Hence, the issue could not be decided as a matter of law. On the second appeal to the Court of Appeals, plaintiff again argued that the threshold issue should have been decided as a matter of law. The Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court, agreeing with the trial judge that, on the basis of evidence presented, reasonable minds could differ. Judge CAVANAGH concurred in the result, disagreeing with the finding that plaintiff had not met the threshold, but believing that, nevertheless, the question was for the jury. Cassidy v McGovern, 98 Mich App 100; 296 NW2d 200 (1980). This Court initially denied leave to appeal in Cassidy v McGovern. Plaintiff then filed a motion for rehearing. This Court treated it as a motion for reconsideration, and granted leave to appeal in both Cassidy and Hermann on March 27, 1981.