Opinion ID: 2318666
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: [¶ 2] The following facts, viewed in the light most favorable to Baker as the nonmoving party, are established in the summary judgment record. Kurtz & Perry, P.A. v. Emerson, 2010 ME 107, ¶ 5, 8 A.3d 677, 679. [¶ 3] Dr. Farrand served as Baker's primary care physician from 1987 through 2006. From 1996 through 2006, Farrand tested Baker's prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels as part of Baker's annual physical exams. PSA tests may reveal evidence of prostate diseases, such as prostate cancer, prostate hypertrophy, and prostatitis. A normal PSA test result is in the 0-4 range; results above that range may indicate prostate disease. Baker's PSA test results were 3.8 in 2001, 5.7 in 2002, 5.2 in 2003, 5.86 in 2004, 5.7 in 2005, and 7.7 in 2006. Baker's 2004 physical exam, at which Farrand drew blood for the PSA test, was conducted on September 22, 2004. After receiving Baker's PSA test results in October 2006, Farrand referred Baker to a urologist. The urologist diagnosed Baker with adenocarcinoma of the prostate after performing a prostate biopsy. [¶ 4] On September 14, 2007, Baker filed a notice of claim in accordance with the Health Security Act, see 24 M.R.S. § 2853(1)(B) (2010); M.R. Civ. P. 80M(b)(1), alleging that Farrand violated the applicable standard of care by failing to refer him to a urologist in 2003, [1] 2004, and 2005, and that this failure delayed his diagnosis until after his cancer had spread and his treatment options were thereby limited. The court appointed a chair of a prelitigation screening panel, see 24 M.R.S. § 2852(2)(A) (2010), who subsequently ordered the parties to resolve Farrand's statute of limitations affirmative defense by motion with the court. See M.R. Civ. P. 80M(e). [¶ 5] In August 2009, Farrand moved for a partial summary judgment on Baker's claims arising from any negligent acts or omissions that occurred before September 14, 2004, based on the three-year statute of limitations, 24 M.R.S. § 2902. The Superior Court granted Farrand's motion, concluding that Baker could not bring a claim for any acts occurring more than three years before he filed his notice. The court reasoned that [t]he Legislature's unambiguous use [in section 2902] of the words `act' and `omission' in the singular indicate that each individual act must be considered in its own right. With this construction, the court declined to recognize the continuing negligent treatment doctrine pursuant to which the limitations period would begin to run for a series of interrelated negligent acts that occurred during the course of treatment on the date of the last act of negligence, as long as that act occurred within three years before the legal action was initiated. Dickey v. Vermette, 2008 ME 179, ¶ 9, 960 A.2d 1178, 1180; id. ¶ 32, 960 A.2d at 1185 (Silver, J., dissenting). [¶ 6] Pursuant to M.R.App. P. 24(a), the parties subsequently filed an agreed-upon motion to report the case to us to review the court's partial summary judgment and, more specifically, to resolve whether, on the facts presented, the continuing negligent treatment doctrine allows Mr. Baker to pursue an `action for professional negligence,' predicated on acts and omissions that occurred more than three years before he brought suit. The parties stipulated that, at trial, an expert would testify that Baker suffered damage from negligent acts that occurred within the limitations period and that the damage is either indeterminate or negligible. [2] The parties further stipulated that Baker would dismiss his action with prejudice unless this Court vacates the court's entry of partial summary judgment. The court granted the motion and reported this matter to us.