Opinion ID: 2291879
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Dismissal of the Wrongful Death Action

Text: Stutsman contends that Judge Hamilton erred in ruling that Judge Shuker's denial of Stutsman's motion to amend the malpractice complaint required dismissal of the wrongful death action. He argues that rulings in one lawsuit have no binding effect in a separate action. We do not reach the merits of this contention. The propriety of Judge Hamilton's dismissal of the wrongful death action became moot when the time for filing an appeal from the judgment in the consolidated action expired on March 4, 1987. All of Stutsman's rights arising out of Kaiser's treatment of his wife were merged in that judgment, and therefore even if this court were to hold that Judge Hamilton erroneously dismissed the wrongful death action, that holding would have no effect, since principles of claim preclusion would prevent Stutsman from maintaining any further action arising out of Kaiser's negligent treatment of his wife. It is well settled that once a claim is finally adjudicated, the doctrine of claim preclusion will operate to prevent the same parties from  `relitigation of not only those matters actually litigated but also those which might have been litigated in the first proceeding.' Jonathan Woodner Co. v. Adams, 534 A.2d 292, 295 n. 6 (D.C.1987) (quoting Goldkind v. Snider Bros., Inc., 467 A.2d 468, 473 n. 10 (D.C. 1983)); see also Rhema Christian Center v. District of Columbia Bd. of Zoning Adjustment, 515 A.2d 189, 192-93 (D.C. 1986); Henderson v. Snider Bros., Inc., 439 A.2d 481, 485 (D.C.1981) (en banc). Whether a party wins or loses relief in the initial action, the final judgment embodies all of a party's rights arising out of the transaction involved, and a party will be foreclosed from later seeking relief on the basis of issues which might have been raised in the prior action. Yuen v. Durham, 488 A.2d 1346, 1348 (D.C.1985); Henderson v. Snider Bros., Inc., supra, 439 A.2d at 485; Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen v. Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, 127 U.S.App.D.C. 298, 300, 383 F.2d 225, 227 (1967), cert. denied, 389 U.S. 1047, 88 S.Ct. 790, 19 L.Ed.2d 839 (1968); RESTATEMENT (SECOND) OF JUDGMENTS § 18 comment a (1982) (plaintiff's original claim is merged in the judgment). Therefore, upon the entry of judgment in favor of Stutsman in the consolidated survival/loss of consortium action and the denial of his motion for a new trial, his wrongful death cause of action merged into the final judgment and his separate claim was extinguished. That Stutsman brought his second action under a different theory, wrongful death, which had not actually been adjudicated in the prior consolidated action, is irrelevant. It is the factual nucleus, not the theory upon which a plaintiff relies, which operates to constitute the cause of action for claim preclusion purposes. Page v. United States, 234 U.S.App.D.C. 332, 334, 729 F.2d 818, 820 (1984). Stutsman's claim for wrongful death arose out of precisely the same facts as the survival and loss of consortium actions; all of his theories of recovery stem from the same transaction. Yuen v. Durham, supra, 488 A.2d at 1349; see RESTATEMENT (SECOND) OF JUDGMENTS § 24 comments b & c (1982). Furthermore, contrary to Stutsman's contention, as a prevailing party in the judgment in the consolidated action he could have appealed since the judgment did not accord him the full relief that he had requested. [4] Thus if Stutsman believed that Judge Shuker erred in denying the motion to amend the malpractice complaint, Stutsman should have filed an appeal of the denial after the entry of final judgment in the consolidated action. Since the time for filing an appeal from that judgment expired on March 4, 1987, Stutsman's failure to preserve his rights by noting an appeal means that all of his rights stemming from the death of his wife have been merged into the judgment in the consolidated action, and he cannot thereafter maintain any lawsuit against Kaiser predicated upon her death. See Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, supra, 127 U.S.App.D.C. at 300, 383 F.2d at 227; 1B J. MOORE, J. LUCAS & T. CURRIER, MOORE'S FEDERAL PRACTICE ¶ 0.416[5], at 533 (1984). Nor may Stutsman now attack the pretrial ruling in his posture as appellee in Kaiser's appeal of the consortium judgment. He did not appeal from that judgment, and [b]ecause of that fact, [he] may not attack the judgment in this court, and may only defend those aspects of the judgment which favored [him]. Edwards v. Woods, 385 A.2d 780, 783 (D.C.1978). The well-settled rule of practice is that on an adversary's appeal a party may not challenge or seek to enlarge a judgment to which he himself did not object. Associated Third Class Mail Users v. United States Postal Serv., 213 U.S.App.D.C. 252, 255, 662 F.2d 767, 770 (1980); see also Arnold's Hofbrau, Inc. v. George Hyman Constr. Co., Inc., 156 U.S.App.D.C. 253, 258, 480 F.2d 1145, 1150 (1973); Renaire Corp. v. Vaughn, 142 A.2d 148, 150 (D.C. 1958) (party who failed to file cross-appeal could not allege error in favorable judgment on adversary's appeal from that judgment). The proper remedy for Stutsman was to file a cross-appeal from the judgment in the consolidated survival and loss of consortium action. [5] Therefore in the absence of exceptional circumstances, see, e.g., Edwards v. Woods, supra, 385 A.2d at 783; Arnold's Hofbrau, supra, 156 U.S. App.D.C. at 258, 480 F.2d at 1150 (unconscionable for plaintiff to be entitled to claim a greater or lesser recovery for the same damage from [the defendant who did appeal] than from [the defendants who did not]), Stutsman may not now, on Kaiser's appeal, ask this court to correct what he contends is an erroneous pre-trial ruling. Judge Hamilton dismissed the wrongful death action on January 6, 1987. At that time, the judge had not yet denied the post-trial motions in the consolidated action. Thus, the judgment in the consolidated action had not yet become final for purposes of claim preclusion. This circumstance cannot now affect our disposition of this appeal, however, for although the consolidated judgment was not final when Judge Hamilton dismissed the wrongful death action, the judgment in the consolidated action became final when the time for filing an appeal from it expired on March 4, 1987. [6] Stutsman failed to note a cross-appeal in the appeal from the loss of consortium judgment and therefore any rights he might have had arising out of his wife's death have now been extinguished, and he is left with his rights upon the judgment. RESTATEMENT (SECOND) OF JUDGMENTS § 18 comment a (1982). The merger of Stutsman's rights into that judgment has rendered a decision on the correctness of Judge Hamilton's dismissal of the wrongful death action unnecessary, for even if we were to reverse that decision, we could grant Stutsman no relief, since the final judgment in the consolidated action would serve to preclude any further litigation arising out of Kaiser's negligent treatment of Mary Stutsman. Consequently, since pending [Stutsman's] appeal, an event occur[red] which render[ed] it impossible for the appellate court to grant any relief ... the question [has] become[] moot and the appeal will be dismissed. Barber v. District of Columbia Dep't of Human Resources, 361 A.2d 194, 196-97 (D.C.1976) (quoting Smith v. Worksman, 99 A.2d 712, 713 (D.C.1953)). In addition, to allow Stutsman to pursue his appeal from the dismissal of his separate wrongful death action notwithstanding the merger of that action in a final judgment would encourage not only the filing of multiple lawsuits to evade the effect of adverse trial court rulings, but seriatim appeals as well. [7] Accordingly, we hold that Stutsman's wrongful death claim merged in the consolidated judgment, and because he did not appeal directly from that judgment, or file a cross-appeal, the appropriateness of the dismissal of his wrongful death action has become moot, and his appeal must be dismissed. Barber v. District of Columbia Dep't of Human Resources, supra, 361 A.2d at 196-97; Smith v. Worksman, supra, 99 A.2d at 713.