Court Opinion

ID: 9850928
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 05:04:34.09532+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:20:45.718063
License: Public Domain

Blackburn, Judge,
concurring specially.
I concur with the majority’s reversal of the trial court’s grant of summary judgment to the defendants.
*842Mrs. Oxley’s water broke spontaneously on the evening of September 1,1987. Her treating physician, Dr. Kilpatrick, had diagnosed her as a “high risk” pregnancy as a result of her “incompetent cervix.” Dr. Kilpatrick had previously surgically closed off her cervix, which procedure precluded vaginal delivery. When she arrived at South Fulton Hospital between 8:00 and 9:00 p.m., Dr. Rossi came into her room and she asked him who he was as she had never seen him before. She told him she wanted to see Dr. Kilpatrick. Dr. Rossi advised her that “he was Kilpatrick and Moore’s associate, the third associate in the practice.” On cross-examination, she was asked by Dr. Rossi’s attorney: “Q. And how did [Dr. Rossi] identify himself? A. He was Dr. Rossi, third associate in Kilpatrick’s practice.” Dr. Kilpatrick also considered that Dr. Rossi was providing medical care for Mrs. Oxley, in his stead, based upon their mutual arrangement of each caring for the other’s patients. Dr. Rossi acknowledged that he was responsible for Mrs. Oxley’s care and considered her to be his patient during the period he treated her.
Dr. Rossi examined Mrs. Oxley and undertook her medical care. The fetal heart monitor was not activated for approximately one hour, and Dr. Rossi examined the fetal heart monitor printouts. Dr. Rossi spoke with Mrs. Oxley several times during the period he treated her, 8:00-9:00 p.m. through 7:00-7:30 a.m., and never told her the fetus was not doing well. In fact, he represented to Mrs. Oxley that the fetus was doing fine. Dr. Kilpatrick testified that the fetus was in distress beginning at 7:19 a.m. Dr. Kilpatrick further testified that a treating physician has a duty to advise the mother if the fetus is in distress or has a cord compression. Cord compression can cause thrombosis, which condition was present.
At approximately 5:00 a.m., September 2, 1987, after the frequency and intensity of her contractions had increased, Mrs. Oxley overheard the nurses saying they needed to get the doctor right away because the heart rate was becoming depressed during contractions. She asked one of the nurses what was going on and was told by the nurse that she would get the doctor. Dr. Rossi came into her room at approximately 6:00 a.m., and read the fetal heart monitor. Dr. Rossi expressed concern about the baby’s condition and the cerclage, and cut the sutures soon after his arrival.
Approximately 45 minutes after the sutures had been cut, Mrs. Oxley noticed that the fetus’ heart rate started dropping again and was staying depressed for several seconds. She asked the nurses and Dr. Rossi if the fetus was in trouble and they said nothing. At no time during his treatment of Mrs. Oxley did Dr. Rossi consider performing a C-section. Mrs. Oxley was concerned and asked for Dr. Kilpatrick. Dr. Kilpatrick was unaware of Mrs. Oxley’s admission or condition when he coincidentally arrived at South Fulton Hospital to make his *843routine rounds at approximately 7:00 a.m. Dr. Kilpatrick generally relied upon the physician who was covering for him to handle the patient care, rather than have the hospital call and advise him of the patient’s presence or admission. Mrs. Oxley was advised that a C-section was going to be performed and she was taken into the operating room at approximately 8:00 a.m. The C-section was performed at 8:16 a.m., approximately 13 hours after the spontaneous rupture of the membranes.
Decided March 12,1997
Reconsideration denied April 1,1997
Davis, Gregory, Christy & Forehand, Hardy Gregory, Jr., Gary C. Christy, Steven K. Leibel, for appellant.
Love & Willingham, Daryll Love, Michael J. Hannan III, Webb, Carlock, Copeland, Semler & Stair, Thomas S. Carlock, for appellees.
It was apparent to Dr. Kilpatrick prior to delivery, as reflected in the pre-operative diagnosis, that there was fetal distress. The fetus also suffered from cord compression as reflected in the Operative Record. Late decelerations and fetal distress were also noted in the Progress Notes, and in the Pathologist’s Report.
Summary judgment is appropriate only when the court, viewing all the facts and reasonable inferences from those facts in a light most favorable to the non-moving party, concludes that the evidence does not create a triable issue as to each essential element of the case. Lau’s Corp. v. Haskins, 261 Ga. 491 (405 SE2d 474) (1991). Here, it is beyond dispute for summary judgment purposes that Drs. Kilpatrick and Rossi were jointly treating Mrs. Oxley during the relevant period of time. The record simply allows no other conclusion. Inasmuch as they were jointly treating Mrs. Oxley, they are jointly liable for any negligence which occurred during the relevant period. A jury question exists as to whether or not the alleged misrepresentations toll the statute of limitation for negligence during the relevant period.