Court Opinion

ID: 9849569
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 04:42:41.409174+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:20:18.166367
License: Public Domain

WAHL, Justice
(dissenting).
I respectfully dissent. LeRud’s professional liability policy provided coverage “for damages resulting from [LeRud’s] *133providing or withholding of professional services.” His patients, plaintiffs in this case, boys 14, 15, and 17 years of age, suffered damages from sexual assaults that occurred during the course of medical treatment. One attempted suicide. The trial court, in its memorandum, clearly set out the factual basis for a determination that coverage existed:
The plaintiffs were young, impressionable, and, for the most part, sexually naive. Typically, doctors are respected authority figures in a community. Dr. LeRud was no exception. * * * All of the incidents occurred in Dr. LeRud’s office or at the local hospital. All of the incidents occurred when plaintiffs were alone with Dr. LeRud. All of the incidents occurred during the course of a medical examination or treatment. All of the incidents occurred solely because plaintiffs were brought to Dr. LeRud for medical examination or treatment. All of the incidents occurred within the context of a medical environment. Additionally, the doctor’s silence surrounding each of these incidents lends credence to plaintiffs’ contentions that they believed that the doctor’s manipulations were somehow related to their medical treatment or examination.
The essence of plaintiffs’ claims is that LeRud, as a physician, during treatment, departed from proper standards of medical practice, thereby causing them damage. To these boys, with their limited knowledge of medicine and sexuality, the physical manipulation that occurred was inseparably related to LeRud’s provision of medical treatment. The policy language, “damages resulting from * * * providing * * * of professional services,” is ambiguous, at least to the extent that it includes the situation where a physician, acting as a medical authority within the context of a medical environment, sexually abuses vulnerable patients during the provision of those professional services. On this ground I would affirm the trial court’s determination of coverage.
The insurer’s argument that a finding of coverage under the policy for sexual abuse of patients during the course of medical treatment also necessitates a finding of coverage for monetary extortion by the physician during medical treatment is without merit. Monetary extortion is in no way related to medical treatment. The sexual abuse in this case was physical manipulation, which is closely related to what physicians may do in the course of medical treatment, at least from the perspective of innocent patients.
The insurer could have specifically excluded claims resulting from “wilful acts” by the insured, as it did in LeRud’s professional office liability protection policy. The insurer could have specifically excluded “loss resulting from any dishonest or illegal act” by the insured, as it did in LeRud’s medical equipment insurance policy. It chose to do neither. Under Minnesota law, any exemptions to coverage must be clearly expressed in the insurance policy involved. Aetna Insurance Co. v. Getchell Steel Treating Co., 395 F.2d 12 (8th Cir.1968). If a clear expression of exemption is lacking, we must interpret any doubt or ambiguity as to what was intended under a policy in favor of coverage. Orren v. Phoenix Insurance Co., 288 Minn. 255, 179 N.W.2d 166 (1970). I would affirm the decision of the trial court.