Key Takeaway
Court ruling on physician-patient privilege waiver in personal injury discovery - what medical records are material and necessary when claiming lost earnings.
Brito v Gomez, 2018 NY Slip Op 08105 (2d Dept. 2018)
(1) “We are asked on this appeal to decide whether a litigant in a personal injury action who makes a claim for lost earnings and loss of enjoyment of life waives the physician-patient privilege with respect to prior injuries not raised in the lawsuit. Based on our settled precedent, we find that the privilege is waived only for injuries affirmatively placed in controversy.”
(2) “Contrary to defendants’ argument, neither plaintiff’s bill of particulars nor her deposition testimony places her prior knee injuries in controversy. In paragraph 10 of her bill of particulars, plaintiff limits the injuries she sustained in the 2014 accident to her cervical spine, lumbar spine, and left shoulder. Accordingly, the specified bodily injuries that are affirmatively placed in controversy are the spinal and shoulder injuries. The claims for lost earnings and loss of enjoyment of life alleged in the bill of particulars are limited to these specified injuries. Plaintiff does not mention her prior knee treatments. Nor does she claim that the injuries to her knees were exacerbated or aggravated as a result of the 2014 automobile accident.”
(3) “However, our cases since Caplow has granted discovery of medical records only where the plaintiff has alleged an aggravation or exacerbation of prior injuries.”
(4) “Here, as we noted earlier, plaintiff does not claim that her prior knee injuries were exacerbated or aggravated as a result of the 2014 accident. Accordingly, plaintiff’s claim for lost earnings does not affirmatively place the condition of her knees in controversy ”
(5a) “Defendants cite to Second Department precedent in support of their argument that the condition of plaintiff’s knees is material and necessary to their defense. The Second Department has held that a party places his or her entire medical condition in controversy through “broad allegations of physical injuries and claimed loss of enjoyment of life due to those injuries”
(5b) “We are not persuaded by the reasoning of the Second Department. In our view, the Second Department’s precedent cannot be reconciled with the Court of Appeals’ rulings that the physician-patient privilege is waived only for injuries affirmatively placed in controversy.”
And we have a two judge dissent. The Court of Appeals will tell us next year whether broad based allegations in the bill allow the entire body to be subject to disclosure or the prior injuries alleged as the First Department alleges..
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