Court Opinion

ID: 9531384
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 04:10:21.126898+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:28:26.075823
License: Public Domain

BURKE, J., dissenting: The jury verdict was for the defendants. The evidence strongly supports this verdict. The adequacy of the care exercised is to be judged by the rules and principles of the school of medicine to which the defendants belong, the American Association of Hand Surgeons, which believes and teaches that the cancer can be spread in treating a suspected hand by snipping off pieces of tissue, and that the total infected area must be excised and sent to a pathologist. Defendants’ actions were in strict compliance with their school of medicine. I agree with defendants that even if they were unskillful or negligent, their professional conduct was not the proximate cause of the injury of which plaintiff complains. The evidence is uncontradicted that when plaintiff came to Dr. Stromberg, in February of 1962, the cancer was already so far advanced that his hand and forearm could not have been saved. Dr. Danely Slaughter, plaintiff’s witness, who performed the amputation of plaintiff’s hand and part of his forearm, testified that in his opinion, on February 13, 1962, when plaintiff went to Dr. Stromberg, the cancer was already into the arm (indicating below the wrist watch) and that it would not have done any good to have taken off the finger at that time; the whole hand and a part of the arm would have had to come off then. He thought the lesion had probably begun to change to malignant a year before he first saw plaintiff on May 8,1962. Drs. Wheelock, Bell and Stromberg, testified that on February 13, 1962, the cancer was at least as far as plaintiff’s wrist. In Dr. Wheelock’s opinion, the squamous cancer, which is slow growing, must have been in existence for one and a half to two years. Dr. Stromberg was not responsible for any condition plaintiff had when he came to see him, nor for anything that would inevitably result from his condition when he came to see Dr. Stromberg. The evidence is uncontradicted that plaintiff’s hand would have had to be amputated on that date. I agree that the issue of contributory negligence was properly submitted to the jury. In his complaint the plaintiff alleged that he was in the exercise of due care. The plaintiff also submitted and the court gave an instruction telling the jury that he (plaintiff) “claims that he was injured and sustained damages while exercising ordinary care.” In the trial of the case the defendant recognized that one of the elements of the case was the proof of ordinary care. It is interesting to note that when Dr. Danely Slaughter first observed the lesion, from just the appearance of it alone he did not believe it was cancer; he thought probably it was not. It did not look to him like the usual type of cancer. On May 21 or 22, 1962, Dr. Danely Slaughter amputated the index finger and the head of the first metacarpal, or second. This is essentially the same operation Dr. Stromberg had recommended three times before. While Dr. Slaughter was performing the operation he learned that the cancer cells had spread. On May 8, 1962, when Dr. Danely Slaughter first examined plaintiff he found no evidence of any lymph node activity. He specifically noted that on his office chart on May 8. On June 18, the node activity was noticeable. Following this discovery Dr. Slaughter told plaintiff he was suspicious of the nodes. He suggested that plaintiff see some other surgeon and sent him to Dr. Gordon Mc-Neer in New York City and let him take the responsibility. The reversal and remandment for a new trial is allowed on the ground that a claimed admission of liability by Dr. Stromberg should have been introduced for consideration of the jury. In the discussion in chambers, the trial judge stated that he would let in the claimed admission, saying that he would “permit evidence of a statement by Dr. Stromberg to the effect that he may have made a mistake.” The trial judge indicated that he would exclude the purported statement by Dr. Stromberg “that he had an insurance policy of $100,000 for malpractice.” The attorney for plaintiff did not say whether he would rephrase his questions in accordance with the judge’s indicated ruling. From the discussion in chambers it appears that plaintiff’s attorney intended to prove the alleged admission by the testimony of Dr. Stromberg. The plaintiff at no time made a definite offer of proof. This subject was dropped and the trial went on. I am of the opinion that the trial judge was right in indicating that he would permit the part of the statement disclosing an admission, but would deny mentioning the insurance policy for malpractice. The fact that the physician had an insurance policy for malpractice would'not tend to show that defendant was guilty of malpractice. I do not think that this judgment supported by the evidence and following a trial by able and experienced lawyers and before an able and experienced judge should be set aside because of the discussion in chambers concerning an alleged admission. Furthermore, the claimed admission against interest by Dr. Stromberg would not be admissible against Drs. Koch and Bell. The judgment should be affirmed.