Gutierrez et al v. Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital et al
Filing
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ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART PLAINTIFFS' MOTION TO AMEND THE COMPLAINT 48 . (Illston, Susan) (Filed on 6/27/2017)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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CYNTHIA GUTIERREZ, et al.,
Plaintiffs,
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United States District Court
Northern District of California
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Case No. 16-cv-02645-SI
v.
SANTA ROSA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, et
al.,
Defendants.
ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND
DENYING IN PART PLAINTIFFS'
MOTION TO AMEND THE
COMPLAINT
Re: Dkt. No. 48
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Plaintiffs’ motion for leave to amend the complaint is scheduled for a hearing on July 3,
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2017. Pursuant to Civil Local Rule 7-1(b), the Court determines that this matter is appropriate for
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resolution without oral argument and VACATES the hearing. For the reasons set forth below, the
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Court GRANTS IN PART and DENIES IN PART plaintiffs’ motion. Plaintiffs shall file and
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serve the amended complaint no later than July 3, 2017.
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DISCUSSION
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Plaintiffs seek to amend the complaint to add four new defendants: Dr. Elliot Brandwene,
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Dr. Stewart Lauterbach, TeamHealth, and Chase Dennis Emergency Medical Group, Inc.
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(“Chase”). Plaintiffs state that these physicians treated plaintiff Cynthia Gutierrez in the
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emergency room, and that TeamHealth and Chase had contracts with defendants to supply the
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physicians to the hospital.
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Defendants do not oppose the addition of new defendants, and
accordingly the Court GRANTS this aspect of plaintiffs’ motion.
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Plaintiffs also seek to amend the complaint to add new causes of action for reckless neglect
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and fraud. Plaintiffs assert that discovery has revealed that medical staff repeatedly administered
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Dilaudid, a synthetic heroin, to Cynthia Gutierrez despite documentation that Cynthia had had
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adverse reactions to that medication.
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defendants’ administration of Dilaudid to Cynthia. The proposed fraud claim is based upon a
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medical record produced by Dr. Lauterbach at his deposition. That record, which the parties
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referred to as “the addendum,” states that after Cynthia was intubated “a large piece of food was
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aspirated from the ET tube.” Schoel Decl. Ex. F (Dkt. No. 50-10). Plaintiffs assert that the
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addendum “is clearly a false and fraudulent record . . . designed to mislead and hide the truth of
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highly culpable misconduct that the Defendants repeatedly administered Dilaudid . . . simply to
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mask her pain and so they could discharge her without stabilizing her condition . . . .” Reply at 2
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United States District Court
Northern District of California
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(Dkt. No. 53).
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plaintiffs until the day of the deposition.
The proposed reckless neglect claim is based upon
Plaintiffs also claim that the addendum was “intentionally concealed” from
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Defendants oppose the addition of new claims on numerous grounds. Defendants argue
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that reckless neglect is not an independent cause of action in California, but rather that it is an
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element of the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act, Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code
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§ 15657. Defendants note that this Court has held that plaintiffs cannot state a claim under the
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Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act because Cynthia Gutierrez is not a
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“dependent adult” under the statute, and they argue that plaintiffs’ proposed amendment “is an
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attempted end run” around the Court’s previous decision. Plaintiffs’ reply brief does not respond
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to this argument. Instead, plaintiffs simply assert that it was reckless for defendants to administer
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Dilaudid to Cynthia.
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Defendants also contend that Court should deny leave to amend as to the proposed fraud
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claim. Defendants argue that plaintiffs’ claims that the addendum was falsified and intentionally
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concealed are baseless, and defendants note that there are numerous references in the medical
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records − apart from the addendum − regarding Cynthia inhaling food and vomit. Defendants
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contend that to the extent the fraud claim is based on the alleged falsification and concealment of
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the addendum, the claim is futile.
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regarding the administration of Dilaudid in the proposed fraud claim, and defendants assert that
Defendants also note that plaintiffs include allegations
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plaintiffs can pursue that issue in the context of the negligence claim.
“[A] district court need not grant leave to amend where the amendment: (1) prejudices the
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opposing party; (2) is sought in bad faith; (3) produces an undue delay in litigation; or (4) is
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futile.” AmerisourceBergen Corp. v. Dialysist West, Inc., 465 F.3d 946, 951 (9th Cir. 2006). The
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Court concludes that the proposed amendment is futile. The Court agrees with defendants that
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“reckless neglect” is an element of a claim under the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil
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Protection Act, Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 15657, and it is not a standalone cause of action. See
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generally Delaney v. Baker, 20 Cal. 4th 23 (1999) (distinguishing “reckless neglect” under the
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Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act from claims for professional negligence).
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The Court has already determined that plaintiffs cannot state a claim under that statute, and
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United States District Court
Northern District of California
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therefore DENIES plaintiff leave to amend to assert a “reckless neglect” claim. Further, as
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defendants note, plaintiffs may pursue their allegations regarding the administration of Dilaudid
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through their negligence claim.
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The Court also finds that the proposed fraud claim is futile. Under California law, the
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essential elements of fraud are (1) a misrepresentation; (2) knowledge of falsity; (3) intent to
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induce reliance; (4) justifiable reliance; and (5) resulting damage. City of Industry v. City of
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Fillmore, 198 Cal. App. 4th 191, 211 (2011).
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falsification or concealment of the addendum constitutes fraud. Plaintiff do not allege how the
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creation of a false medical record, and the concealment of that record, was intended to induce
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reliance, nor do plaintiffs explain how they relied on the allegedly concealed and false medical
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record to their detriment. Accordingly, the Court DENIES plaintiffs leave to amend to add a fraud
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claim.1
Plaintiffs do not explain how the alleged
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However, the addendum (and the circumstances under which it was created) may be
relevant to plaintiffs’ other claims.
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CONCLUSION
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For the foregoing reasons, the Court GRANTS plaintiffs leave to amend the complaint to
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add additional defendants and DENIES leave to amend to add additional claims. Plaintiffs shall
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file and serve the amended complaint no later than July 3, 2017.
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IT IS SO ORDERED.
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Dated: June 27, 2017
______________________________________
SUSAN ILLSTON
United States District Judge
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United States District Court
Northern District of California
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