Court Opinion

ID: 9548288
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 18:01:05.888766+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:18:46.066958
License: Public Domain

BROWN, Justice, Retired,
dissenting in part and concurring in part.
The majority holds that giving Instruction Number 18 was reversible error. It states that appellants’ challenge to instructions is the principal issue on appeal. The court was particularly wroth because the trial court used the terms “honest judgment” and “honestly” in its instruction, and states that the instruction “bespeaks in responsibility to moral decision and honesty.”
In the context of Instruction Number 18 and the other eight malpractice instructions, it is inconceivable that the jury could have been misled and thought defendants’ conduct would be excused as long as their judgment was not fraudulent or morally improper.
Webster’s Third New International Dictionary 1086 (1971), defines “honest” in part as: “candid presentation of the facts,” *552“free of ostentation or pretense/’ “of a creditable nature.” Honesty is defined on the same page as “adherence to the facts.” In context, the words “honest” and “honesty” used in Instruction Number 18 could only mean adherence to the facts and the jury could not have rationally thought otherwise.
Arguably, terms more precise than “honest” and “honestly” could have been used in the instruction. However, these terms are not novel. In Smith v. Beard, 56 Wyo. 375, 110 P.2d 260, 270 (1941) (quoting Staloch v. Holm, 100 Minn. 276, 111 N.W. 264, 267 (1907)), this court said: “ ‘It would be * * * unreasonable to hold a physician responsible for an honest error of judgment on so uncertain problems as are presented in surgery and medicine.’ ” (Emphasis added.)
Appearing on the same page of the opinion in Smith, the terms “honest judgment” and “honestly made” are used. Justice Blume certainly was not using the terms honest and honestly as opposed to the terms fraudulent, lying, larceny or some other moral deficiency.
The Supreme Court of Minnesota wrote that at least twenty-nine other jurisdictions follow the rule that physicians are not liable for honest errors in judgment. In Ouellette by Ouellette v. Subak, 391 N.W. 2d 810 (Minn.1986), the court stated:
“Cases of malpractice may be within the exception. A physician entitled to practice his profession, possessing the requisite qualifications, and applying his skill and judgment with due care, is not ordinarily liable for damages consequent upon an honest mistake or an error of judgment in making a diagnosis, in prescribing treatment, or in determining upon an operation, where there is reasonable doubt as to the nature of the physical conditions involved or as to what should have been done, in accordance with recognized authority and good current practice. * * *
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« * * * Most professional men are retained or employed in order that they may give the benefit of their peculiar and individual judgment and skill. A lawyer, for example, does not contract to win a lawsuit, but to give his best opinion and ability. He has never been held to liability in damages for a failure to determine disputed questions of law in accordance with their final decision by courts of appeal. It would be just as unreasonable to hold a physician responsible for an honest error of judgment on so uncertain problems as are presented in surgery and medicine.”
[Staloch,] 100 Minn. at 280-283, 111 N.W. at 266-67.
Moreover, in protecting a physician from liability for mere errors in judgment in choosing between alternate diagnoses or treatments, this court has followed a rule recognized by at least 29 other jurisdictions. See also W. Keeton, D. Dobbs, R. Keeton and P. Owen, Pros-ser & Keeton on the Law of Torts 186 (5th Ed.1984).
Id. at 814 (emphasis added and footnote omitted).
In Watson v. Hockett, 107 Wash.2d 158, 727 P.2d 669, 673 (1986), the court stated:
The “error of judgment” instruction unanimously upheld by this court in Miller, and also proposed by Dr. Hockett in this case, is also proper:
“A physician or surgeon is not liable for an honest error of judgment if, in arriving at that judgment, the physician or surgeon exercised reasonable care and skill, within the standard of care he was obliged to follow.”
(Italics ours.) Miller, 91 Wash.2d at 160 n. 4, 588 P.2d 734. Henceforth, however, the italicized word “honest” should not be used in those cases where it is. appropriate to give this instruction. This is because the use of the word “honest” imparts an argumentative aspect into the instruction which, as discussed above, does not coincide with current jury instruction practice.
See also Perkins v. Walker, 406 N.W.2d 189 (Iowa 1987); Miller v. Kennedy, 91 Wash.2d 155, 588 P.2d 734 (1978) (“honest” *553error of judgment instruction upheld). In 61 Am.Jur.2d, Physicians & Surgeons, § 209 (1981), the term “honest error” is used in discussing professional judgment.
“No party may assign as error the giving or the failure to give an instruction unless he objects thereto before the jury retires to consider its verdict, stating distinctly the matter to which he objects and the grounds of his objection.” W.R.C.P. 51 (emphasis added). At the instruction conference, counsel for appellants objected to giving Instruction Number 18, stating:
In the first instance, your Honor, I think that Vossos v. Roussalis, where it defines what negligence is, — I mean, what standard of care is, impliedly overrules any case that would additionally instruct on the issue of error of judgments on the first instance. Probably the vast majority of any case in the exercise of medicine requires judgment. The question — and that evidence comes into the trial. It’s up to the Jury to determine if, from the facts of the case, that’s excused by knowledge, skill and diligence in the evidence. To instruct about judgment, particularly, calls the attention to the Jury of one of many issues that they’ve heard in the evidence and in certain circumstances, could — could be tantamount to issuing a directed verdict in our judgment.
Two, I don’t think anything in Conway v. Wright suggests that the language of the decision should be given as an instruction. And I think that, clearly, this sets up a situation where a professional judgment being exercised, in almost any case, requires the Plaintiffs to almost prove, you know, beyond a reasonable doubt or prove some kind of burden far greater than the law requires. The instruction, in my judgment, simply, — you know, it’s unnecessary to give and it does tend to direct a verdict against because, you know, all I have to say is while this was a judgmental issue, that’s for the Jury to decide.
It is most difficult to determine precisely what appellants are complaining about. At the instruction conference, they talk about the instruction imposing on them a burden of proof “beyond a reasonable doubt” and a tendency to “direct a verdict against them.” It is noted in appellants’ objection that they do not complain about the use of the terms “honest judgment” and “honestly.” This latent concern about these terms apparently developed on appeal.
W.R.C.P. 51 is designed to assist the trial court to correct potential errors in the instructions. The purpose of the rule is defeated if alleged errors are asserted for the first time on appeal. Perhaps if appellant had properly objected, the court would have deleted the terms “honest” and “honestly” or substituted acceptable terms. Appellants’ objection to Instruction Number 18 does not minimally comply with Rule 51, and they should not now be heard to complain.
In its opinion, the majority addresses other issues raised by appellants, and is critical of many of the trial court’s rulings and determinations. However, the majority’s reversal is not based on those additional issues. Those issues are discretionary matters with the trial court. I see no abuse of discretion and would therefore affirm the trial court in its determinations.
With respect to granting a directed verdict in favor of Charles Everts, M.D., the radiologist, I concur only in the result determined by the majority. I agree with the trial court that there was not competent evidence of any direct, proximate cause between the conduct and actions of Dr. Everts and the injuries appellants contend occurred. The trial court, however, improperly granted the directed verdict without allowing appellants to call Dr. Everts as an adverse witness in their case in chief. Had Dr. Everts testified as an adverse witness, it is highly unlikely that he would have made appellants’ case, but appellants had a right to try to cure the deficiencies in their proofs through the testimony of ap-pellee Everts.
I would reverse the trial court in granting a summary judgment to Dr. Everts and affirm in all other respects.