Court Opinion

ID: 9678680
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 06:28:21.823794+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:07.137582
License: Public Domain

DISSENTING OPINION
Dissenting opinion
by ALMA L. LÓPEZ, Chief Justice.
Because Powell relied on Dr. Reineck to provide the causal connection between Martinez’s breach of the standard of care and the development of the diabetes insipi-dus, I agree that the report failed to satisfy section 74.351 on the issue of causation as to Martinez. Powell’s discussion of the injuries sustained by King as a result of Jones’s negligence, however, is not limited to the development of the diabetes insipi-dus. Because I believe the trial court did not abuse its discretion in concluding that Powell’s report explained how the alleged breach of the standard of care by Jones caused injury to King, I respectfully dissent.
Powell clearly stated that Jones breached the applicable standard of care by failing to recognize and diagnose King’s symptoms of meningitis between the period from Thursday, August 12 until Saturday, August 14. Powell states, “This over 48-hour delay caused the meningitis to worsen substantially and caused increased pain and suffering for Ms. King.” Powell further explains:
Dr. Jones failed to direct Ms. King to the Emergency Room on August 11 and 12, 2004. Dr. Jones’s office was called five times on August 12, 2004 regarding the serious medical problems that Ms. King was experiencing. Dr. Jones repeatedly instructed Ms. King NOT to go to the E.R., as the doctors at the hospital would not know what to do. Dr. Jones should have sent Ms. King, in her medical condition at that time, to the E.R. This would have resulted in an earlier diagnosis and treatment of the meningitis and the additional complications related to the placement of the morphine pump. Ms. King incurred additional pain and suffering prior to going to the E.R. which could have been avoided had Dr. Jones advised Ms. King to go to the E.R. immediately.
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Dr. Jones failed to follow-through on the promise Dr. Jones made on the night of August 12, 2007 to the E.R. doctor at Methodist Hospital, Dr. Deuson, that Dr. Jones would perform a spinal tap on Ms. King the next morning, August 13, *1622004. Had Dr. Jones performed the spinal tap as promised, the meningitis would have been diagnosed on at least August 13, 2004. The delay in the diagnosis of the meningitis allowed it to worsen and this proximately caused Ms. King to incur a great deal of extra pain and suffering, she was hospitalized twice, she lost over 30 days at work, and she incurred a substantial amount of medical bills during the hospitalizations.
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Dr. Jones failed to perform an L.P. and obtain C.S.F. for culture/analysis at the same time as performing the blood patch on Ms. King on August 13, 2004-This failure to perform the L.P. and to obtain the C.S.F. and order the test for meningitis caused an over 48-hour delay in the diagnosis of the meningitis and the associated delay in treatment of the meningitis which allowed it to wor-sen_Dr. Deuson had specifically suspected meningitis the night before on August 12, 2004. Rather than do the prudent thing and test for meningitis as she had promised to do, Dr. Jones, to protect her pride and reputation, placed the health and well-being of Ms. King at substantial and unnecessary risk. The ultimate result of Dr. Jones’s failure to uphold her promise and do the prudent thing and take the spinal tap was a further delay in the diagnosis and treatment of the meningitis in Ms. King which proximately caused her to incur pain and suffering, loss of work, and a substantial amount of medical bills.
Based on the foregoing, I believe the trial court did not abuse its discretion in concluding that Powell’s report fairly summarized the causal link between Jones’s breach of the standard of care and injury to King. Accordingly, I believe the trial court properly denied the motion to dismiss as to the medical negligence claim against Jones. See Silvas v. Ghiatas, 954 S.W.2d 50, 54 (Tex.App.-San Antonio 1997, pet. denied) (noting allegations specifying numerous means in which defendant was negligent comprise one medical negligence cause of action). Because the majority holds to the contrary, I respectfully dissent.