CHARLOTTE HARWICK AND EARL HARWICK, HER HUSBAND, APPELLANTS,
v.
ROBERT HARRIS, APPELLEE
AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.
A physician is not liable for failing to inform a patient about the surgical procedures chosen by another consulting physician, nor for alleged negligence in postoperative treatment if the jury finds no negligence.
Plaintiffs sued Dr. Harris for negligence, alleging failure to inform about Dr. Russell's surgical procedures and negligent postoperative care. The ju…
The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence© FLexlaw, Inc. — AI-generated enrichments are proprietary. All rights reserved.
Explore caselaw by topic → Browse Informed Consent cases and more on FLexlaw
This is a companion case to Russell v. Harwick, Fla.App.1964, 166 So.2d 904, decided this date. The facts are sufficiently stated in the opinion in the Russell case. The action for negligence which also was against Dr. Harris, was tried before a jury and a separate verdict was rendered in favor of the defendant Harris. The plaintiffs Charlotte Harwich and Earl Harwich, her husband, then filed their separate appeal from the judgment in favor of Harris. They make two points. First, it is contended that Dr. Harris incurred liability for his failure to inform the plaintiffs regarding the operative procedures proposed and contemplated by the orthopedic surgeon Dr. Russell. Second, that Dr. Harris was negligent with reference to the postoperative treatment of Mrs. Harwich.
We find no merit in either contention. The fact that Dr. Harris was asked to “take charge” did not make him responsible for the selection of the surgical processes used by the orthopedic surgeon, as the facts show the determination and selection of those were made by the surgeon. The authorities relied on by appellants as to the necessity for consent and informed consent to an operation are not applicable as to Dr. Harris, who did not choose and advise the surgical processes to be used by the orthopedic surgeon. That represents a material factual distinction from Bowers v. Talmage, Fla.App.1964, 159 So.2d 888. Three days after the operation, when, according to evidence which the jury was entitled to accept and rely upon, Dr. Harris was in a position to assume proper recovery was in progress, he withdrew because, as stated by him, he saw no need to add to the expense by staying on the case. He remained ready to return to the case if needed.
On the evidence presented the jury was well within its province in ruling as it did in favor of Dr. Harris, and the judgment appealed from is affirmed.
Affirmed.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By
-
Pierce v. Harry W. Reinstine, Jr., M.D., 405 So. 2d 286 (Fla. 1st DCA 1981)…PER CURIAM. AFFIRMED. Harwick v. Harris, 166 So. 2d 912 (Fla.3d DCA 1964). ERVIN, WENTWORTH and JOANOS, JJ., concur.…
Authorities Cited
- Bowers v. Talmage, 159 So. 2d 888 (Fla. 3d DCA 1963)
- Russell v. Harwick, 166 So. 2d 904 (Fla. 3d DCA 1964)