Opinion ID: 1096052
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: interruption of prescription by the prior suit

Text: For the first time on appeal, plaintiffs argued that prescription of the medical malpractice claims against Dr. Brunson and LAMMICO was interrupted by the filing of suit No. 19,599 against West Carroll Hospital, Inc. and Morris Management, Inc., alleged solidary obligors with Dr. Brunson and LAMMICO, and that such interruption continued as long as that suit remained pending. Plaintiffs argue that the appellate court should have considered the record from suit No. 19,599 or alternatively, that the case should have been remanded to the trial court to permit the introduction of the record from suit No. 19,599 into the record of this suit. They cite as authority La.Code Civ.P. arts. 2164 and 2132. La.Code Civ.P. art. 2164 provides in pertinent part: The appellate court shall render any judgment which is just, legal, and proper upon the record on appeal. La.Code Civ.P. art. 2132 provides: A record on appeal which is incorrect or contains misstatements, irregularities or informalities, or which omits a material part of the trial record, may be corrected even after the record is transmitted to the appellate court, by the parties by stipulation, by the trial court or by the order of the appellate court. All other questions as to the content and form of the record shall be presented to the appellate court. The court of appeal rejected these articles as authority to supplement the record on appeal. Because the record of the prior suit was not introduced in evidence in the trial court, the court of appeal would not consider it in the disposition of the appeal. The court of appeal was correct. To receive the record in prior suit No. 19,599 in evidence in this suit would constitute the taking of evidence and the exercise of original jurisdiction in a matter in which neither the court of appeal nor this court is vested with authority to do so. This is not a matter dealing with correcting erroneous records or supplementing records which are deficient as to matters actually introduced in evidence. Barber v. Testa, 331 So.2d 139, 140 (La.App. 3d Cir.1976). Accordingly, this court cannot consider evidence which was not part of the record made in the trial court in this suit. In Herbert v. Travelers Indemnity Co., 255 La. 645, 232 So.2d 463, 464 (1970), this court stated that La.Code Civ.P. art. 2164 authorizes an appellate court to remand a case when it is a just and proper disposition based upon the record. A remand for new evidence must be based upon examination of the merits. It is warranted only when the state of the record is such that the new evidence is likely to affect the outcome of the case. Id. 232 So.2d at 464-65. The court of appeal, without reasons, rejected plaintiffs' alternative request to remand to the trial court to supplement the record. Volumes III and IV which contain the record in suit No. 19,599 have been included with the record filed with this court. We find it appropriate, based upon Herbert, to examine the record to determine if its inclusion would affect the outcome of the issue of whether or not prescription is interrupted in this suit by the prior suit. If so, then a remand to the trial court to include the evidence and decide the issue of prescription would be warranted. Our review of the record in suit No. 19,599 reveals that a petition for damages was timely filed on January 4, 1988 by plaintiffs against West Carroll Hospital, Inc. Morris Management was added as a party defendant on May 11, 1988. An exception of prematurity was filed by the hospital on January 28, 1988 and heard on March 31, 1988. On August 31, 1988, the trial judge in his written REASONS FOR JUDGMENT indicated that the suit was premature and should be dismissed. The reasons for judgment stated that [a] judgment should be prepared in accordance with these Reasons for Judgment, submitted to opposing counsel for approval as to form, and submitted to the Court for signing. No judgment is contained in the record. No motion to dismiss the suit against Morris Management is contained in the record. [9] An interruption of prescription resulting from the filing of a suit in a competent court and in the proper venue or from service of process within the prescriptive period continues as long as the suit is pending. La.Civ.Code art. 3463. A timely filed suit pending against one solidary obligor continues the interruption of prescription as to all purported solidary obligors. Herbert v. Doctors Memorial Hospital, 486 So.2d 717 (La.1986). In Herbert, plaintiff fell and sustained injuries while a patient at a hospital. In 1976, within a year of her injuries, she filed a malpractice suit against the hospital. In 1982, plaintiff executed a receipt and release in favor of the hospital. In 1983, seven years after the filing of the suit against the hospital, plaintiff added Dr. Morgan as a defendant alleging solidary liability with the hospital. In 1984, the receipt and release was entered into the record of the suit and a judgment was rendered dismissing the hospital. Dr. Morgan filed an exception of prescription arguing that the receipt and release executed in 1982 served to terminate the cause of action against the hospital at that time and thus the suit against him in 1983 was untimely. This court held that the timely filed suit against the hospital was still pending in 1983 when Dr. Morgan was added as a defendant despite the execution of the receipt and release in favor of the hospital a year earlier because no final judgment dismissing the suit was filed until 1984. Thus, plaintiff's suit against the hospital, an alleged solidary obligor with Dr. Morgan, was pending until early 1984, three months after plaintiff, by amending petition, added Dr. Morgan. Consequently, prescription was interrupted as to the claim against Dr. Morgan. Herbert, 486 So.2d at 725. In the instant case, the first suit (No. 19,599) was timely filed against West Carroll Hospital, Inc. on January 4, 1988. Morris Management was added on May 11, 1988. An exception of prematurity was filed by the hospital and heard by the trial judge. The trial judge in his written reasons for judgment indicated that the suit was premature and should be dismissed and further stated that a judgment should be prepared in accordance with the reasons for judgment, submitted to opposing counsel for approval as to form, and submitted to the Court for signing. No judgment was entered into the record. A final judgment shall be identified as such by appropriate language. When written reasons for the judgment are assigned, they shall be set out in an opinion separate from the judgment. La.Code Civ.P. art. 1918. Where there are only written reasons and no separate signed judgment, there is no final judgment. Fisher v. Rollins, 231 La. 252, 91 So.2d 28, 31 (1956); Bordelon v. Dauzat, 389 So.2d 820, 822 (La.App. 3d Cir.1980). Thus, under the reasoning set forth in Herbert v. Doctors Memorial Hospital , the claim against the hospital in suit No. 19,599 would still be pending since no signed judgment is contained in the record. Moreover, plaintiffs assert that the claim against Morris Management, Inc. in suit No. 19,599 was never dismissed and is still pending and this claim serves to interrupt prescription as to the claims against Dr. Brunson and LAMMICO. [10] Since we think plaintiffs' claim that prescription has been interrupted during the pendency of the first suit may well have merit, we see no reason to deny plaintiffs' request to remand this case to the trial court to supplement the record in this suit with that of the first suit. Herbert v. Travelers Indemnity Co., supra ; see also Brister v. Southern Baptist Hospitals, Inc., 555 So.2d 641, 644 (La.App. 4th Cir. 1989) (because prescriptive statutes are strictly construed by the courts, justice, fairness and equity required a remand to the trial court for consideration of a previously filed suit in a medical malpractice action and its effect on the running of prescription). We will now address the remaining issues assigned as error to this court.