Court Opinion

ID: 9716247
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 06:32:09.717033+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:59:05.389319
License: Public Domain

House, C. J.
(dissenting). I do not agree with the conclusion that the action of the trial court was, under the circumstances, reasonable and not an abuse of its judicial discretion.
As indicated in the majority opinion, the defendants admitted liability and so far as the plaintiff Lillian Banks was concerned the sole issue on the trial was the extent of her injuries and the amount of damages to which she was entitled. Her principal complaints of injury related to her lower back and the area of her cervical spine and right shoulder. She claimed that she had sustained permanent injury as a result of the accident which happened on or about February 3,1967.
In 1958, she had had an accident while working for the Norwalk Hospital. She was treated by John F. Paget, a physician, and it was stipulated that as a result of this accident she sustained a permanent partial disability of her cervical spine. In 1964, she had another accident for which she was treated by an orthopedic surgeon, Frank A. Serena, and this accident also involved a permanent injury to the cervical spine. In 1966, she had another accident involving injury to the lumbar spine and the cervical spine. She was again treated for this injury by Serena who attributed to that accident a 20 percent loss of use of the cervical spine and a 5 to 10 percent loss of use of the lumbar spine. In the 1967 accident *301which gave rise to the present suit and complaints of injury to the cervical spine and lumbosacral spine, she was again treated by Serena who estimated that as a result of the accident “the plaintiff had sustained a 40 to 45 per cent disability of her total body” and “will require medical treatment for the rest of her life.”
It is obvious that in light of these circumstances the extent to which the most recent accident aggravated a preexisting condition was a material issue as to which the testimony of Serena was of paramount importance. He testified as a witness for the plaintiff. On cross-examination by the defendants as to the injuries sustained by the plaintiff in the 1964 accident, he testified that he had records in his office with respect to his findings and treatment of the plaintiff at that time but did not have the records with him in court. He had “a vague recollection” that there was a permanent condition claimed in that accident. On being pressed and in view of the fact that he did not have his records with him, he stated that “he couldn’t deny” that he had assigned a 30 to 35 percent disability to Mrs. Banks’ cervical spine as a result of that 1964 accident.
After this testimony from Serena, he was excused, the plaintiff rested and the court recessed until the following Tuesday with a direction to the defendants to be prepared to proceed with the case at that time.
Later the same day or the next day, the defendants’ counsel had Serena served with a subpoena duces tecum to appear in court on Tuesday morning with the records concerning his treatment of Mrs. Banks following the 1964 accident. He also subpoenaed Paget for the same time. Neither physician *302appeared in court in response to the subpoena. When court convened Tuesday morning, defense counsel informed the court of the situation and that he and counsel for the plaintiff had agreed to stipulate that Paget had assigned a 20 percent permanent partial disability to Mrs. Banks as a result of the 1958 accident but were unable to agree as to the full import of what Serena’s testimony would be. Counsel, therefore, requested that the court issue a capias for Serena and grant a recess until 2 o’clock to give the sheriff an opportunity to produce Serena. The court refused to issue a capias. It then attempted to obtain a stipulation from counsel as to what testimony Serena would give if he did appear but was unsuccessful in the endeavor. The particular obstacle to agreement revolved around whether Serena had, in 1964, attributed a 35 percent permanent disability to Mrs. Banks’ cervical spine as a result of the 1964 accident and if so whether to the left side of the neck or to the right side, which area was the area injured and involved in the present suit. At the conclusion of the discussion, the court stated: “He might have given her 35 per cent of the cervical neck in the ’64 accident and 5 to 10 per cent of the lumbar spine from the ’66 accident and 20 per cent of the cervical area for the ’66 accident, am I correct? Mr. Friedman: Yes, Your Honor. The Court: That’s the best you’re going to be able to do. I’m not going to issue a capias for Dr. Serena.” The court granted the defendants an exception to his ruling denying a capias.
In these circumstances, it is my opinion that the ruling of the court constituted harmful error. Obviously the extent and specific area of cervical injury sustained by the plaintiff in the 1964 accident was a question of major significance on this trial. Serena *303had testified that he did have relevant records in his office but only a “vagne recollection” at the time he testified. His testimony that under these circumstances he “couldn’t deny” that he had assigned 30 to 35 percent disability to Mrs. Banks’ cervical spine was certainly of questionable value in assisting the jury in determining what the true facts were. The ruling of the court deprived the defendants of a full and complete hearing of the case. “All material and relevant information which will assist the trier in determining the sum of money which will constitute . . . just compensation should, in justice to both parties, be made available to . . . [it].” Thomaston v. Ives, 156 Conn. 166, 174, 239 A.2d 515.
I do not mean to imply that the court should by means of a capias direct a sheriff to drag a physician from an operating room or his office and present him in court to testify, but I do believe that it was harmful error to deny a capias for Serena’s appearance at the earliest practical time and to deny a recess until at least some inquiry could be made as to how soon that could reasonably be accomplished. “It is the duty of every witness, lay or expert, to respond to a subpoena and, unless privileged, to testify to factual matters relevant to a controversy.” Thomaston v. Ives, supra, 172.
During recent years, there has developed a commendable high degree of understanding and cooperation between the legal profession and the medical profession, each recognizing the demands and requirements of the other profession and the obvious conflicts which are bound to arise from the obligation to care for the sick and injured and the duty to testify in court when called on to do so. This cooperation has been exhibited in a determined effort by *304the bench and the bar to attempt to limit the required attendance of medical witnesses to as convenient and short a time as possible. As a result of this cooperation, the necessity for the issuance of subpoenas for medical witnesses has considerably lessened. Nevertheless, the burden has been placed squarely on trial counsel to produce medical testimony when it is needed. Practice Book §228 expressly provides: “Counsel must recognize their responsibility to have medical testimony available when needed and shall, when necessary, subpoena medical witnesses to that end.”
In the case at bar, it is apparent that counsel for the defendants did everything within his power and in accordance with the direction and rules of practice of the Superior Court to produce the witness and the records and material relevant evidence obtainable only from the subpoenaed witness. Under the circumstances, I cannot agree that the actions of the court did not constitute harmful and reversible error. I believe that the case should be remanded for a new trial.
In this opinion Ryan, J., concurred.