Court Opinion

ID: 9647484
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 13:38:07.483123+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:11:50.042762
License: Public Domain

DEL SOLE, Judge,
concurring and dissenting:
I join the Opinion of my colleagues in the majority in all respects, save one. I would not vacate the judgment and remand the case for retrial on damages.
While the reference by the plaintiff’s treating physician, Dr. Voss, to the report of Dr. Amayo may have been error, it is at most harmless.
The plaintiff’s treating physician testified at length that in his opinion the plaintiff suffered a herniated disc at C4-C5 resulting from the accident. He further testified that the plaintiff had degenerative disc disease at C5-C6.
This diagnosis of herniated disc at C4-C5 was based upon the physician’s treatment of the patient, two CAT-scans and a myelogram with reports from appropriate neuroradiologists that were admitted into evidence without objection. In addition, plaintiff underwent a diskectomy and fusion at C4-C5 to repair the herniated disc.
*290The defendant’s physician, Dr. Temeles, testified that in his opinion the CAT-scans and myelogram did not show a herniated disc.
The slight reference to the fact that Dr. Amayo stated that there was disc herniation at C4-C5 level proven by CAT-scan was not such an error as would warrant a new trial.
In addition, the defendant’s physician clearly put the matter at issue when he testified as follows:
Q. Now, Doctor, I note in your records that you reviewed the nuclear radiologist’s reading of the CT scan in May of 19 — or, I am sorry, of March 1985. And I believe in your records it is even indicated as Item 4D. I take it that you disagree with the radiologist’s reading of the CT scan to indicate she has a herniated disc?
A. Yes. The word “herniated” disc is what I object to. Q. And also, Doctor, I take it you disagree with the opinions of the two nuclear radiologists on the cervical myelogram of June 9, 1986, that that myelogram shows a herniated disc?
A. The word “herniated” disc I disagree with.
Q. And in addition, Doctor, you disagree with Dr. Amayo’s records from the Harmarville Rehabilitation Institute, particularly his report of March 1986, wherein he indicates she has a herniated disc at C4-C5. I believe it is report No. 5 in your papers before you.
A. Yes. I think if I am not mistaken — and give me a chance to look at that report — I think Dr. Amayo points out that this is what was reported, not his interpretation, that he is purely mimicking the report since he found no clinical picture. He says diagnosis, herniated disc at C4-5 level by CT scan, but he did not label her as having a herniated disc in her cervical spine.
Q. So in his report under the notation diagnosis he indicates herniated disc at C4-C5 by CT scan?
A. Yes. He didn’t even read it, he was mimicking the report. He found no herniated disc in this lady in any of his reports that he rendered — and there was quite a few.
*291Q. The report though that we are discussing now is his report and under diagnosis that’s what it has?
A. It has that.
Q. And, of course, you would disagree with that insofar as it was the very same reading as professed by the radiologists that you have already described, Doctor, in your report of June 2, 1986, you don’t note any defects in there at C4-C5 at all. As a matter of fact, you don’t even mention that disc space anywhere in that report; is that correct?
A. I simply state there is no evidence of a herniated disc to be seen in the scan performed.
First, I believe that the reference to Dr. Amayo was insignificant. Also, I believe that it was addressed and answered by the defendant through the defendant’s medical expert at the time of trial.
When weighing the slight reference to Dr. Amayo against the diagnostic procedures of CAT scans and myelogram coupled with a surgical procedure to repair the herniated disc, I would find that any reference to Dr. Amayo in the plaintiff’s case was harmless error and would affirm the judgment.