Opinion ID: 1656419
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: whether the trial court erred by denying the superseding cause jury instruction (d1-12) requested by dr. eckman.

Text: ¶ 11. It is well-established law that a defendant is entitled to have the jury instructed on his theory of the case. Coho Resources, Inc. v. McCarthy, 829 So.2d 1, 23 (Miss.2002) (citing Higgins v. State, 725 So.2d 220, 223 (Miss.1998)). However, a court may refuse a jury instruction which incorrectly states the law, is fairly covered elsewhere in the instructions, or is without foundation in the evidence. Id. This Court will not reverse the verdict of the jury if that jury was fully and fairly instructed by the other instructions. Id. ¶ 12. Dr. Eckman's proposed jury instruction on superseding cause, DI-12, read as follows: A superseding cause is an independent and unforseen act by a third person which follows the Defendant's negligence, if any you should find, and which is the substantial factor in causing the injuries alleged by the Plaintiff. A superseding cause becomes the proximate cause for the Plaintiff's alleged injuries and the Defendant's negligence is a remote cause for which he is not liable. Thus, if you find from a preponderance of the evidence in this cause that Dr. Eckman was negligent in his care and treatment of Taylor Moore on February 21, 1999, but that an independent and unforseen act by a third person, namely the alleged failure of nursing personnel at the North Mississippi Medical Center to meet the standard of care with respect to the nursing care provided to Moore on February 21 and 22, 1999, followed Dr. Eckman's negligence, if any, and was a substantial factor in causing Mr. Moore's neurological injuries and subsequent death, then Dr. Eckman is not liable for the injuries proximately resulting from the superseding cause, and your verdict shall be for the Defendants, Dr. Eckman and Aurora Spine Centers-Mississippi, Inc. Counsel for Michelle objected to this instruction stating that superseding cause was not at issue; therefore, the trial judge refused this instruction which properly stated the law of superseding cause. However, counsel for Dr. Eckman, responding for the record, stated: MR. D. UPCHURCH: We would urge, certainly recognize the Court's ruling on that, but for the record would state that on behalf of Dr. Eckman, we think that is an appropriate instruction and, in particular given the testimony of Dr. Carl Hauser with regard to the alleged deviations from the standard of care from nursing personnel on  on the  on February 21, 1999, and into the early morning hours of February 22nd, 1999. And given the  the case that Dr. Hauser set out against the hospital we believe that would be a proper instruction. (emphasis added). ¶ 13. Dr. Eckman argues that the superseding cause issue revolves around the neurological checks which were to be performed by the nursing personnel at NMMC. Dr. Eckman testified that when he admitted Taylor to the hospital, he ordered the nursing personnel to perform neurological checks on Taylor every two hours. Michelle's expert, Carl Hauser, M.D., testified that Dr. Eckman's order was appropriate, and Michelle's neurological expert, Horace Norell, M.D., agreed with Dr. Hauser's assessment. Michelle further put on proof that the nursing personnel at NMMC failed to perform appropriately those neurological checks on Taylor as ordered by Dr. Eckman. ¶ 14. Although Michelle offered evidence that the nursing personnel at NMMC was negligent in their treatment of her husband, Michelle contends that Dr. Eckman was negligent before, during and after any negligence by the nursing personnel. Michelle argues Dr. Eckman was negligent in failing to respond to calls made to him by the nursing personnel regarding Taylor. However, Dr. Eckman testified that the last phone call he received was at 10:30 p.m. on the night of February 21, 1999, wherein the nursing personnel informed him that Taylor's neurological status was normal. He was not contacted again until 6:00 a.m. on February 22, 1999. During that seven and one-half hour time lapse, the nursing personnel, upon orders by Dr. Eckman, should have performed at least four other neurological checks on Taylor, but, according to the testimony of Michelle's own expert witnesses, they failed to do so. ¶ 15. Although the superseding cause instruction was not granted by the trial judge, other jury instructions regarding nursing personnel failing to follow the proper standard of care were given. Jury Instruction No. 29, offered by plaintiff, read: If you find from a preponderance of the evidence in this case that the nursing personnel providing medical care and treatment to Jason Taylor Moore on February 21 and 22, 1999, failed to properly monitor, assess, and take action as his medical condition required; that this failure, if any, constituted negligence, as that term is defined elsewhere in these instructions; and that that negligence, if any, proximately cause or contributed to cause injury to and the eventual death to Jason Taylor Moore, then you should return a verdict in favor of the Moore Family against North Mississippi Medical Center, and assess their damages. (emphasis added). Jury Instruction No. 30, also offered by plaintiff, read: If you find from a preponderance of the evidence in this case that the nursing personnel at North Mississippi Medical Center failed to conduct appropriate neurological checks on Jason Taylor Moore during the early morning hours on February 22, 1999, as ordered by Dr. Eckman; that the failure of the nurses to perform appropriate neurological checks constituted negligence as that term is defined elsewhere in these instructions; and that this negligence, if any, proximately caused, or contributed to cause, injury or damage to Mr. Moore and his eventual death, then you should return a verdict in favor of the Moore Family against North Mississippi Medical Center. (emphasis added). However, these two jury instructions, along with the other instructions given to the jury, did not properly instruct the jury as to Dr. Eckman's theory of the case regarding superseding cause. ¶ 16. Pursuant to Jury Instruction No. 32, which was an interrogatory instruction, the jury found NMMC to be negligent in a manner which proximately caused or contributed to the injury and death of Taylor Moore and found NMMC to be forty percent (40%) at fault. Therefore, it is clear that the jury found that the nursing personnel negligently performed their duties, such as conducting proper neurological checks as ordered by Dr. Eckman, thus the superseding cause instruction was within the bounds of the evidence presented at the trial. ¶ 17. [T]his Court has stated: [T]hat negligence which merely furnished the condition or occasion upon which injuries are received, but does not put in motion the agency by or through which the injuries are inflicted, is not the proximate cause thereof. Robison v. McDowell, 247 So.2d 686, 688 (Miss.1971). See also, Hoke v. Holcomb, 186 So.2d 474, 477 (Miss.1966); Mississippi City Lines, Inc. v. Bullock, 194 Miss. 630, 640, 13 So.2d 34, 36 (1943). However, if an antecedent negligent act puts in motion an agency which continues in operation until an injury occurs it would appear to be more like a second proximate cause than a remote and unactionable cause. Blackmon v. Payne, 510 So.2d 483, 487 (Miss.1987) (emphasis added). ¶ 18. In Mississippi City Lines v. Bullock, 194 Miss. 630, 639, 13 So.2d 34, 36 (1943), this Court stated: Although one may be negligent, yet if another, acting independently and voluntarily, puts in motion another and intervening cause which efficiently thence leads in unbroken sequence to the injury, the latter is the proximate cause and the original negligence is relegated to the position of a remote and, therefore, a non-actionable cause. Negligence which merely furnishes the condition or occasion upon which injuries are received, but does not put in motion the agency by or through which the injuries are inflicted, is not the proximate cause thereof. The question is, did the facts constitute a succession of events so linked together as to make a natural whole, or was there some new and independent cause intervening between the alleged wrong and the injury? See also Touche Ross & Co. v. Commercial Union Ins. Co., 514 So.2d 315, 323-24 (Miss.1987); Saucier v. Walker, 203 So.2d 299, 305 (Miss.1967); Hoke v. W.L. Holcomb & Assocs., Inc., 186 So.2d 474, 477 (Miss.1966). ¶ 19. Both Dr. Eckman and plaintiff presented evidence that the negligence of the nursing personnel of NMMC contributed to the death of Taylor Moore. The jury must be instructed on all material issues presented in evidence. Therefore, the trial court erred in refusing Dr. Eckman's superseding cause instruction and, thus, denied Dr. Eckman his right to have his theory of the case properly presented to the jury.