Hospodar v. Schick ( 2005 )

OPINION BY

DEL SOLE, P.J.:

¶ 1 Mark E. Hospodar, M.D. and Pittsburgh Neurology Associates, Ltd. (“Appellants”) appeal from the March 12, 2003, order denying their preliminary objections in the nature of a demurrer. While the appeal is interlocutory in nature, it has been accepted for appellate review pursuant to Pa.R.A.P. 1311.

¶ 2 This case arises from separate medical malpractice actions filed on behalf of the estates of Patricia A. Schick and Sherry A. Zeis in connection with a fatal automobile accident that occurred on October 18, 2000. The cases were later consolidated pursuant to a March 20, 2003, order. Appellees allege Appellants were negligent in the treatment and care of Jack Smith, the driver of the automobile that collided with Appellees’ decedents’ vehicle, and that Appellants’ negligence was the legal and factual cause of decedents’ deaths. The allegations in Appellees’ complaints, as summarized by the trial court, are as follows:

On October 18, 2002, Smith operated his vehicle at a high rate of speed and in an uncontrolled fashion, and violently crashed into the rear of a stopped vehicle on Route 51 in Allegheny County, thereby causing the deaths of Shick and Zeis, occupants of the stopped vehicle. Smith’s erratic driving was caused by Smith having “blacked out.” Smith had previously been involved in two recent automobile accidents in which he “blacked out.” Specifically, on December 21, 1998, Smith was seen at Mercy Hospital by Dr. Berkey, a representative of PNA [Pittsburgh Neurology Associates], following an automobile accident in which Smith allegedly “blacked out” at the wheel. Dr. Berkey was provided with medical information indicating that Smith had a prior history of seizures. The circumstances of the accident that were related to Dr. Berkey were consistent with the driver having had a seizure. PNA’s agents did not provide Smith with any treatment for seizures nor did they suggest that he restrict his driving. On April 11, 2000, Smith was involved in another motor vehicle accident in which he claimed to have “blacked out” for no apparent reason. Smith was seen at the emergency room at Sewickley Valley Hospital where he admitted having been previously diagnosed with a seizure disorder, and being on Dilantin, an anti-seizure medication. A week later, Smith was seen by Dr. Bader, his primary care physician, who noted a previous history of Dilantin use, and indicated that Smith had a possible seizure disorder. After ordering some cardiac tests, whose results did not provide an explanation for Smith blacking out, Dr. Bader referred Smith to PNA.

On May 3, 2000, Smith was seen by Dr. Hospodar, whose records indicate that he was aware that Smith had a history of two prior “black out” automobile accidents, and that Smith lost his driver’s license as a result of the second accident. Dr. Hospodar was aware that his associate, Dr. Berkey, had obtained a history from Smith in December 1998 of a possible seizure disorder. Dr. Hospo-dar also had knowledge of the fact that Smith had admitted a history of a seizure disorder to his primary care physician, Dr. Bader, and to the staff at Sew-ickley Valley Hospital. Dr. Hospodar also received specific confirmation of Smith’s history of treatment for a seizure disorder. Dr. Hospodar’s medical work-up of Smith failed to reveal any rational explanation for the blackouts other than a seizure disorder. Based on the above, Dr. Hospodar and PNA were specifically aware that Smith was at a high risk for “blacking out” while driving an automobile, and that Smith could cause serious bodily injury to other persons if he were to black out while driving. Despite the above, Dr. Hospodar failed to diagnose Smith with a seizure disorder and failed to provide him with medication or any other treatment for a seizure disorder.

Following Dr. Hospodar’s examination of Smith on May 3, 2000, Dr. Hospodar filled out a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PADOT) form which included the question, “From a medical standpoint only, do you consider [Jack Smith] physically and/or mentally competent to operate a motor vehicle?” Dr. Hospodar answered “I do not know.” Plaintiffs claim that in the exercise of due care, Dr. Hospodar should have answered the question, “No.” Later that month, in responding to oral follow-up questions from PADOT representatives, Dr. Hospodar advised them that it was safe for Smith to operate a motor vehicle. Approximately five months later the subject fatal accident occurred.

Trial Court Opinion, 8/31/04, at 1-3.

¶ 3 On February 13, 2003, Appellants filed preliminary objections to the complaint, arguing that they owed no duty to the third parties in this case and that the decedents were not foreseeable victims of Dr. Hospodar’s actions or inactions. Following oral argument, the court denied Appellants’ preliminary objections, and on March 20, 2003, consolidated the two cases and certified the matter as one involving a controlling question of law. Review was granted by this Court. See Pa.RA.P. 1311.

¶ 4 Appellants now argue “the trial court erred in overruling the appellants’ preliminary objections to the plaintiffs complaints when the Supreme Court has ruled that the Motor Vehicle Act does not allow for a physician to be held liable to a third party who has been injured by one of the physician’s patients.” Brief for Appellants at 4.

¶ 5 “Preliminary objections in the nature of a demurrer test the legal sufficiency of the complaint.” Hykes v. Hughes, 835 A.2d 382, 383 (Pa.Super.2003) (citations omitted). Our standard of review in determining whether a trial court erred in denying preliminary objections in the nature of a demurrer is well-settled.

When reviewing the dismissal of a complaint based upon preliminary objections in the nature of a demurrer, we treat as true all well-pleaded material, factual averments and all inferences fairly deducible therefrom. Where the preliminary objections will result in the dismissal of the action, the objections may be sustained only in cases that are clear and free from doubt. To be clear and free from doubt that dismissal is appropriate, it must appear with certainty that the law would not permit recovery by the plaintiff upon the facts averred. Any doubt should be resolved by a refusal to sustain the objections. Moreover, we review the trial court’s decision for an abuse of discretion or an error of law.

DeFazio v. Gregory, 836 A.2d 935, 937 (Pa.Super.2003) (citations omitted).

¶ 6 Here, the trial court concluded that given Dr. Hospodar’s knowledge that Smith had sustained two prior automobile accidents as a result of “blacking out,” it was “readily foreseeable that Smith would become involved in another accident if he continued to drive.” Trial Court Opinion, 8/31/04, at 5. The court further found “Dr. Hospodar had a duty to take steps to minimize this risk” and properly and accurately report Smith’s condition to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). Id.

¶ 7 The determination of whether a person is medically eligible for a driver’s license in this Commonwealth is governed under 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 1501, et seq., Chapter 15 of the Motor Vehicle Code. Specifically, § 1517 provides that the Secretary of Transportation shall appoint a thirteen-member medical advisory board to formulate rules and regulations regarding physical criteria that are used in determining whether an individual is fit to operate a motor vehicle. A physician’s duty to advise PennDOT of a patient’s potential lack of fitness to operate a motor vehicle is set forth in § 1518(b), which provides:

(b) Reports by health care personnel.— All physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, physician assistants, certified registered nurse practitioners and other persons authorized to diagnose or treat disorders and disabilities defined by the Medical Advisory Board shall report to the department, in writing, the full name, date of birth and address of every person over 15 years of age diagnosed as having any specified disorder or disability within ten days.

75 Pa.C.S.A. § 1518(b). Additionally, regulations promulgated by the Medical Advisory Board are set forth at 67 Pa.Code Chapter 88. Most relevant to the matter before us are Sections 83.4 and 83.5, which during the applicable time frame¹ in relevant part provided:

§ 83.4 Epilepsy

(a) General. A person suffering from epilepsy may not drive unless their personal, licensed physician reports that the person has been free from seizures for a period of at least one year immediately preceding, with or without medication.

§ 83.5 Other physical and medical standards

(а) General. A person afflicted by any one of the following conditions may not drive if, in the opinion of the examining physician, the conditions are likely to interfere with the ability to control and safely operate a motor vehicle:

(4) Periodic loss of consciousness, attention or awareness from whatever cause.

67 Pa.Code § 83.4(a); § 83.5(a)(4). Penn-DOT may recall the operating privileges of one whose incompetence to drive a motor vehicle has been established under the Code. 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 1519.

¶ 8 Presently, Appellants contend that the Motor Vehicle Code only requires physicians to provide medical information regarding the conditions of certain licensed drivers to the Commonwealth so it can determine if their operating privileges should be revoked, and does not authorize a private cause of action based upon physician’s failure to report a driver’s condition to PennDOT. In support of this claim, appellants rely on Estate of Witthoeft v. Kiskaddon, 557 Pa. 340, 733 A.2d 623 (1999). After a thorough review, we find that we must agree.

¶ 9 In Witthoeft, our Supreme Court was presented with the following situation: Ms. Witthoeft was riding her bicycle when she was struck by an automobile driven by Helen Myers, who had substantially impaired vision. Ms. Witthoeft later died from the injuries sustained in that accident. Her estate brought an action against Ms. Myers’s ophthalmologist, Dr. Kiskaddon, in which it argued that Dr. Kiskaddon was the direct and proximate cause of Ms. Witthoeft’s death because of his failure to report her sub-par vision to PennDOT. Dr. Kiskaddon filed preliminary objections in the nature of a demurrer, which were granted. This Court affirmed the trial court’s action, and upon petition, our Supreme Court took up the issue for consideration. The Supreme Court rejected the estate’s position, holding that the Motor Vehicle Code does not create, explicitly or implicitly, a private cause of action against a physician for an accident caused by a patient because the physician failed to comply with the notification requirements of the code.

¶ 10 The Court also refused to expand its earlier decision in DiMarco v. Lynch Homes-Chester County, Inc., 525 Pa. 558, 583 A.2d 422 (1990), in which it held that a physician may be liable to a third party who is injured because of the physician’s negligent treatment of a patient. In Di-Marco, a patient was infected with hepatitis B. The physician erroneously told her that if she remained symptom free, she would no longer be infected in six weeks. He further advised her to refrain from sexual intercourse for six weeks. The patient heeded this advice; she waited eight weeks before engaging in sexual intercourse. Her partner became infected with hepatitis B, and sought to hold the physician liable. In finding a cause of action against the physician in favor of the partner, the Supreme Court relied heavily on the nature of the disorder at issue, holding that in the case of a communicable disease, the information provided by the physician is of great importance and a duty to accurately advise of the illness is reasonable; however, where the condition is not communicable, the same conclusion cannot necessarily be reached. Witthoeft, 733 A.2d at 628. The Supreme Court also considered the fact that the patient in Wit-thoeft was aware of her exceedingly poor vision, and was, in fact, in the best position to know of its effect on her ability to drive. Id. Thus, the Supreme Court declined to extend its holding in DiMarco to the factual situation of Witthoeft.

¶ 11 We find the matter before us analogous to the situation in Witthoeft. It is undisputed that Mr. Smith knew of his seizure disorder and knew that he had previously suffered blackouts while driving. As we are bound by the decisions of our Supreme Court, we find no third-party liability exists against Appellants.

¶ 12 Order reversed.

¶ 13 TAMILIA, J. files a dissenting opinion.

1 . Sections 83.4 and 83.5 recently have been amended and in relevant part now provide:

(a) General. A person who has a seizure disorder will not be qualified to drive unless a licensed physician reports that the person has been free from seizure for at least 6 months immediately preceding, with or without medication. A person will not be disqualified if the person has experienced only auras during that period.

67 Pa.Code § 83.4(a).

(а) General disqualifications. A person who has any of the following conditions will not be qualified to drive:

(б) Periodic episodes of loss of attention or awareness which are of unknown etiology or not otherwise categorized, unless the person has been free from episode for the year immediately preceding, as reported by a licensed physician.

67 Pa.Code § 83.5(a)(6).