Opinion ID: 1759501
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: Beverly Chopin, the office manager of Mississippi Neurosurgery, P.A., testified that she is the custodian of billing records, including hospital records and care provided by the physicians, and takes care of insurance claims for Mississippi Neurosurgery, P.A. She testified that on May 28, 1991, Petrick was admitted to the Golden Triangle Regional Medical Center emergency room unconscious. Dr. Poche of Mississippi Neurosurgery, P.A., was on call and treated Petrick. Dr. Poche subsequently performed a craniotomy for an aneurysm. Chopin sent out a bill for those services on October 7, 1991, addressed to the Estate of Richard Petrick, 934 Yorkville RD South, requesting payment in the amount of $6,220.00. At the time of this billing the payment was 120 days past due. Chopin testified that since Petrick's surgery was in June, in accord with her company's policy, statements began to go out in July. She got no response from any billing until she began receiving returned mail in October. Chopin testified that she spoke with Alice Vann upon learning through Boundary Health Care that the insurance checks for Petrick's hospital stay and medical services had been issued to Petrick. Boundary Health Care gave Chopin Vann's telephone number. Chopin called Vann and found out that Vann had received the Blue Cross payments for the partial cost of Petrick's care. This was approximately November 30, 1991. Chopin admitted that at this time she knew that the estate had been set up and that Vann was depositing checks into the estate account. Chopin said she never received notice from the estate that the insurance checks had been received, and did not file a claim against the estate until January 7, 1992. Chopin testified that although she reads The Commercial Dispatch, neither she nor anyone else at Mississippi Neurosurgery, P.A., saw the publication giving notice to creditors. Alice Vann testified as an adverse witness that she was the administratrix of the estate of her ex-husband, and that she was aware that he went into the hospital in May, 1991. Vann did not know why Petrick was in the hospital, but she was aware that he died of a cerebral hemorrhage. Vann stated that Boundary Health Care and her lawyers made most of the inquiries to determine creditors. Vann thought she remembered the name of Dr. Poche, but she had never received an invoice for his services. Vann testified she had no reason to call Mississippi Neurosurgery, P.A., or Dr. Poche's office to ask about any outstanding bills because she handled everything through Blue Cross through Boundary. Vann said that Boundary Health Care and two attorneys assured her that all billing had been taken care of and that everything had been paid. She did not personally check the break down of the billing nor did she look for individual invoices. She just knew the total amount for which the estate was responsible according to the lawyers and Boundary Health Care. Vann trusted that the estate attorney and her ex-husband's employer had been thorough in their search for potential creditors. When asked how GTR and the Anesthesiology group from GTR made it onto her affidavit, while Dr. Poche and Mississippi Neurosurgery, P.A., did not, Vann said she did not know the individual doctors who were involved. Vann testified that she did not personally send Mississippi Neurosurgery, P.A., notice to probate a claim, but believed that her lawyers did. Vann was unable to produce a document to that effect, however. When Vann was asked, in reference to her affidavit, what reasonably diligent efforts she had made to ascertain creditors, she replied, [y]ou would really have to talk to Boundary Health Care and GTR. Vann testified that she did not personally call every doctor at GTR, but she hired a lawyer to handle all of that legal work. Vann testified that starting around June 20, 1991, she opened and read all of Petrick's mail and never found a bill from Mississippi Neurosurgery, P.A., or Dr. Poche. She did know that Dr. Poche was a neurosurgeon. Vann did not specifically remember talking with Chopin about a bill, but stated that whenever she was contacted regarding a bill, she requested that the interested party send an invoice and call the estate lawyer. Vann did testify that the estate attorney told her he had been contacted about outstanding medical bills, and said he had told those parties to file a claim. Vann concluded that she had done all that she could to ascertain creditors of Petrick's estate. Vann admitted that when talking about all her efforts to ascertain creditors, she really meant the efforts of Boundary Health Care and her lawyers.