Court Opinion

ID: 9570517
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 20:23:56.219488+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:05:39.716216
License: Public Domain

Judge Eagles
concurring in part, dissenting in part.
I respectfully dissent from that portion of the majority opinion which affirms dismissal of the civil conspiracy claim for relief. That claim was based upon alleged fraudulent falsification of medical records by two licensed physicians and a physician’s assistant in preparation for trial. To decide as the majority does is to grant a license to persons facing serious civil actions to commit fraud with impunity in preparation for litigation.
The majority relies on two of the Gillikin series of cases: Gillikin v. Bell, 254 N.C. 244, 118 S.E. 2d 609 (1961) and Gillikin v. Springle, 254 N.C. 240, 118 S.E. 2d 611 (1961).
The Gillikin cases can be distinguished from the case sub judice as follows:
(1) The Gillikin cases involved separate lawsuits brought after termination of the initial action thereby invoking the public policy disfavoring endless litigation. Here, the original action is pending and the civil conspiracy is sought by plaintiff to be joined to the initial action, permitting the entire allegations to be resolved at one trial.
The Gillikin cases were actions against the alleged original tort-feasor (Gillikin v. Springle, supra), a photographer (Gillikin v. Bell, supra), an indemnity bond company (Gillikin v. United States Fidelity & Guaranty Company, 254 N.C. 247, 118 S.E. 2d 606 (1961)) and an auto liability insurance company (Gillikin v. Ohio Farmers Indemnity Company, 254 N.C. 250, 118 S.E. 2d 605 (1961)) for interference with a previously terminated civil action which plaintiff Gillikin had lost to Springle. The practical effect of the outcome in the Gillikin cases is to require that all possible claims be put to rest at one time with plaintiff limited to “one day in court.” That goal would be achieved here by reversing the dismissal and permitting this claim to be tried at the same time as the related causes.
*198This action for civil conspiracy involves only those parties who were already party defendants in this pending action and does not involve others as parties.
(2) There is admittedly no civil action for perjury or subornation of perjury since they are punishable as crimes but here the misconduct was the wrongful falsification of medical records with the intent to cover up medical malpractice and thereby defraud the decedent’s estate. Had the fraudulent misrepresentation gone undiscovered, if in fact it occurred as was alleged, and the defendants had testified at trial pursuant to their alleged design, then the crime of perjury, a violation of G.S. 14-9, might have resulted. Falsification of medical records with the intent to misrepresent to plaintiffs and to the court the treatment and diagnosis of decedent and thereby defraud a decedent’s estate of damages in an action for medical malpractice and a civil conspiracy to accomplish this wrong are actionable.
To create civil liability for conspiracy, a wrongful act resulting in injury to another must be done by one or more of the conspirators pursuant to the common scheme and in furtherance of the common object. The gravamen of the action is the resultant wrong, and not the conspiracy itself. Ordinarily the conspiracy is important only because of its bearing upon rules of evidence, or the persons liable. 11 Am. Jur., Conspiracy, section 45.
Holt v. Holt, 232 N.C. 497, 500, 61 S.E. 2d 448, 451 (1950).
“In civil conspiracy, recovery must be on the basis of sufficiently alleged wrongful overt acts.” Shope v. Boyer, 268 N.C. 401, 405, 150 S.E. 2d 771, 773 (1966). Here the wrongful overt act is the falsification or alteration of medical records pertaining to plaintiffs decedent with the intent to misrepresent the true facts and thereby defraud plaintiff in their efforts to recover for alleged medical malpractice.
In Reid v. Holden, 242 N.C. 408, 414-15, 88 S.E. 2d 125, 130 (1955), Bobbitt, J. (later Chief Judge), succinctly stated the law of civil conspiracy:
“Accurately speaking, there is no such thing as a civil action for conspiracy. The action is for damages caused by acts committed pursuant to a formed conspiracy, rather than by the *199conspiracy itself; and unless something is actually done by one or more of the conspirators which results in damage, no civil action lies against anyone. The gist of the civil action for conspiracy is the act or acts committed in pursuance thereof —the damage —not the conspiracy or the combination. The combination may be of no consequence except as bearing upon rules of evidence or the persons liable.” 11 Am. Jur. 577, Conspiracy sec. 45. To create civil liability for conspiracy there must have been an overt act committed by one or more of the conspirators pursuant to the scheme and in furtherance of the objective. 15 C.J.S. 1000, Conspiracy sec. 5. These principles have been recognized and applied by this Court.
Since the alleged wrongful acts were discovered, the full potential for harm and damages was not realized. Because of plaintiff’s alleged discovery that the records contained intentional misrepresentations and had been falsified, plaintiffs damages are the additional costs of investigation and ultimate detection of the attempted fraud on the decedent’s estate. According to the complaint, they are alleged to amount to approximately $3,000.00.
Suffice it to say, there are allegations of a conspiracy, a wrongful overt act in furtherance of that conspiracy and damages to plaintiff which, if proven, are sufficient to justify recovery.
Conspiracy among professionals to defraud a decedent’s estate and ultimately a trial court as alleged, is outrageous, offensive, and egregious conduct. In a system of jurisprudence in which the courts are relied on as an orderly means of settling disputes and differences, it is incongruous to permit misrepresentations, fraud and deception such as is alleged here to occur with impunity.
For these reasons, I respectfully dissent from the majority’s decision to dismiss the claim for civil conspiracy. In all other respects, I concur with the majority.