Court Opinion

ID: 9542597
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 16:36:18.023488+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:08:23.172245
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE BARRY, specially concurring: I concur with my colleague’s conclusion that reversible error was committed in the trial of this case and that it must be remanded for a new trial; however, I cannot agree that Thomas’ fourth issue should be ignored. Thomas contends that the trial court erred in allowing, over defendant’s objection, expert testimony as to the necessity and cost of future medical treatment. Contrary to the majority, I see no reason to anticipate that the witness and his testimony would not be tendered on retrial. In my opinion the issue must be addressed. Plaintiff’s expert, Dr. Rentschler, testified that “the surgeon who did Joe Montana only operates on about ten percent of those cases that come in through his doors on the average. And I think this would be *** a reasonable percentage.” With respect to plaintiff, the doctor stated, “His disk did improve. It improved satisfactorily to the extent that when I last saw him, I did not feel that surgery should be done at that time. I explained to him that it still could come to surgery if this thing ruptured a little further. But in view of the improvement, that if he continued with the plan of doing the exercises and if he didn’t get worse, that I didn’t think he was going to come to surgery.” He also testified that plaintiff “is a candidate for possible future surgery.” Later, after discussing the cost of hospitalization and follow-up procedure for such surgery, the doctor explained that, of the patients who have this type of surgery, about 25% do well, 50% still have symptoms, and the remaining 25% do poorly. Thomas argues that this testimony was highly prejudicial and irrelevant because Rent-schler could not establish that plaintiff would in fact need the surgical procedure. In Biehler v. White Metal Rolling & Stamping Corp. (1975), 30 Ill. App. 3d 435, 333 N.E.2d 716, testimony of plaintiff’s doctor concerning the cost of future medical services was excluded at trial on defendants’ motion. On appeal, this court determined that the trial court’s evidentiary ruling was error. As a foundation for the future costs evidence in Biehler, the doctor had “testified that in his opinion Mr. Biehler would need surgery to fuse the subastragalar joint and adjacent joints to reduce the pain and motion while walking. The doctor also stated, ‘[I]f he can continue at a sedentary job he may get along without surgery, but I have a feeling that he will elect surgery.’ ” (30 Ill. App. 3d at 445, 333 N.E.2d at 724.) We held that this testimony posed a question of fact as to “whether the plaintiff was reasonably certain to have future surgery ***, and if so, what the reasonable value of future medical services would be.” 30 Ill. App. 3d at 445-46. In my opinion, the foundation testimony presented by Dr. Rentschler in this case is sufficiently akin to that approved by this court in Biehler to support the admission of possible future medical costs evidence. Based on the totality of the evidence presented at trial, the jury was free to weigh Rentschler’s testimony, to determine whether plaintiff was reasonably certain to undergo surgery in the future or not, and thereafter to reject or include the reasonable value of such services in determining damages. JUSTICE HEIPLE joins in this special concurrence.