Court Opinion

ID: 9552203
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 19:06:13.549145+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:25:44.878250
License: Public Domain

HERNANDEZ, Judge (dissenting in part, concurring in part). I respectfully dissent from parts “A” and “B” of the majority opinion and concur with part “C”. The majority in their discussion in part “A” state: “In the surgeon’s [Dr. Altman] opinion, plaintiff was totally disabled until November, 1975. From that date forward she had 15% partial impairment of function to the lower body and 25% partial disability. Plaintiff has not worked from March 25, 1974. There was substantial evidence to support the surgeon’s opinion.” They go on to state: “We can find neither expert nor non-expert testimony in the record to conflict with the percentage opinion of plaintiff’s surgeon on partial disability. The percentage opinion stands uncontradicted as competent evidence. It cannot be disregarded by the trial court.” It is my opinion that the majority misconceive the issue to be decided. The issue, as I see it, is whether there is substantial evidence to support the following findings made by the trial court: “That plaintiff did not have any disability subsequent to November 1, 1975, as a result of said accident, which would prevent her from returning to work at Levi Strauss & Co. in work for which she was qualified and could perform, whether at Levi Strauss & Co. or for some other employer.” “That plaintiff was not wholly or partially unable after November 1, 1975 to perform any work for which she was at that time fitted or qualified.” The following, in my opinion, is substantial evidence in support of these findings: Dr. Sidney Schultz, an orthopedic surgeon, who first examined plaintiff about one month after her injury, testified in part as follows: “She showed some limitation of low back motion, questionable muscle spasm and no signs of any nerve root pressure in her low back. * * * this lady’s manifestation throughout the examination, I felt, were exaggerated * * * she complained of soreness or pressure, regardless of where she was touched. * * *” Dr. Schultz sent plaintiff to Dr. Seelinger for an electromyogram test which was performed on May 1,1974. As to the results of that test, Dr. Schultz testified: “I believe that nervousness is her major problem, all the tests were normal * * *. As of the 15th [May], pain localized to coccyx now; nothing else hurts. * * * pain in the tailbone is a very common neurotic complaint in females. * * * I saw her on June 28th, and she was still complaining bitterly of pain in the tailbone * * *. I cannot find anything to account for this woman’s complaints, clinically. I X-rayed her sacrum and coccyx and the X-rays were normal * * *.” Dr. Schultz reading from a letter dated August 27, 1974, which he had written as to whether plaintiff could return to work stated the following: “* * * when she was last seen on June 28, 1974, she still complained bitterly of pain in the tailbone. I can find no orthopedic reason for her persistent complaints. She was worked up by Dr. Sager * * * and he could find no pathology that could account for her complaints * * * since I have not seen this woman for the past two months, I am unaware of her present condition, however, from a strict orthopedic standpoint, I can see no reason why she would not be able to return to work.” Dr. Edward M. Sager, a family physician, who first examined plaintiff on March 29, 1974, testified in part as follows: “* * * she exhibited some tenderness in her mid lumbar area and the lower area of her back * * Plaintiff was admitted to the hospital on April 1, 1974, and discharged on April 12, 1974. Dr. Sager referring to his discharge summary testified that: “She was treated with bed rest, traction, an analgesic, physical therapy, lumbar sacral X-rays were noted as negative * * patient’s physical findings initially were somewhat bizarre, neurologically * * the day that I admitted her to the hospital, she was complaining of pain and exerting (sic) symptomatology entirely on the right, now, at this point it is also involving the left, and yet on the third [of May], my note indicates that she has improved, it was at this time that I elected to have her seen and evaluated by Dr. Peter Stern.” Dr. Sager when asked “When you first saw Miss Casaus, Doctor, did she complain of any pain in her tailbone or coccyx area?” answered no. Dr. Sager saw plaintiff again on May 31, 1974, after she had been evaluated by Dr. Schultz. As to this visit, Dr. Sager testified: . . she states that she is feeling pressure on the coccyx Dr. Sager when asked: “Assuming that Miss Casaus sustained an injury so severe, as a result of this accident, that it required a coccygectomy. What is your opinion as to whether it is unusual for a person to first complain of pain in the coccyx two months after an injury of this type?” Dr. Sager answered: “I would say that this would be extremely remote, it would be impossible.” As to the results of a pelvic-rectal examination that Dr. Sager made of plaintiff he testified: “* * * I doubt that coccygodynia exists, which is a pathological problem with the coccyx, but, the patient states that she has rectal fullness and pain. There was a rectal examination which physically and essentially is within normal limits * * * >> Dr. Sager when asked: “What is your opinion as to the frequency of a wobbly coccyx or a coccyx which requires that it be removed related to a lifting type injury?” Answered: “They really don’t relate, because in lifting, you are using the muscles, the low back and thoracic, upper back, the coccyx is really a rudimentary left over tail „type structure, it just sits there and, unless you fall and land on it, it would be rather an uncommon injury and even at that, it would take a fall on an elevated or blunt type object, because it is rather well-cushioned because of the gluteal area, the behind.” Dr. Peter D. Stern, an orthopedic surgeon, who examined plaintiff on April 8, 1974, testified as follows from his notes prepared at that time: “This 36-year old patient states that she has a severely injured back. She states that she has pain radiating to both her lower extremities, but she has more pain in the right lower extremity. * * * On examination there are multiple inconsistencies * * * which is to say that none of the tests were consistent with the other tests that were done to confirm the presence or absence of sciatic nerve injury or low back injury. * * * Based on the inconsistencies and the psychiatric stretch tests [and other tests] * * * I concluded that this patient was either malingering about her low back problem or pain, or had emotional problems with relation to this injury, and I could find little anatomic basis to substantiate her claims of low back pain with radiation into the lower extremities.” The plaintiff did not complain of any pain in the coccyx area to Dr. Stern. When asked, in his experience, “What percentage of coccyx injuries occur with a lifting type of injury?” Dr. Stern answered, “Very few. The vast majority are from a direct fall on the tailbone such as when a prankster pulls out a chair and a person sits on the floor. This is the vast majority, if not all of the cases that I have seen involving tailbone injury.” Dr. Stern when asked: “Assuming that in June, 1974, Bessie Casaus no longer complained of any back pain to her treating physician, Dr. Sidney Schultz, and based upon the fact that during your examination on April 8, 1974, her complaints were solely attributable to the back; do you have an opinion as to whether she, in June of 1974, had any type of physical or functional impairment?” Answered: “If she had no complaints referable to her low back, and no other complaints, I would suppose that she would be able to return to work.” Granted that neither Dr. Schultz, Dr. Sager or Dr. Stern uttered the specific words “the plaintiff has no disability arising out of the incident in question.” However, in my opinion, the import of their testimony is unmistakable: the plaintiff has no disability partial or otherwise. It is readily apparent that the plaintiff is a hypochondriac. As to part “B” the trial court in my opinion properly denied the admission of exhibits 7 and 8 into evidence. Dr. Altman had no personal knowledge of the matter and a proper foundation for a hypothetical question was not established.