Burdge v. Errickson.

• Decision Date: 04 January 1945
• Docket Number: No. 37.,37.
• Parties: BURDGE v. ERRICKSON.
• Court: New Jersey Supreme Court

132 N.J.L. 377

40 A.2d 573

BURDGE

v.ERRICKSON.

No. 37.

Court of Errors and Appeals of New Jersey.

Jan. 4, 1945.

Appeal from Supreme Court.

Action by Shirley Burdge against William C. Errickson, a dentist, for malpractice. From a judgment of nonsuit, plaintiff appeals.

Affirmed.

PARKER, Justice, and DILL, Judge, dissenting.

John S. Conroy, 3d, of Burlington (James M. Davis, Jr., of Camden, of counsel), for appellant.

Parsons, Labrecque & Borden, of Red Bank (Theodore D. Parsons, of Red Bank, of counsel), for respondent.

RAFFERTY, Judge.

This appeal is from a judgment of nonsuit entered in the Supreme Court, Burlington Circuit, at the close of plaintiff's case.

The factual situation presented to the trial court upon the motion for nonsuit, giving to plaintiff every favorable inference, was: During May 1940 plaintiff suffered injuries to his mouth which resulted in the loss of several teeth. In September of that year he attended the office of his attorney, with whom he discussed the matter of settlement of his claim for compensation growing out of the accident. Plaintiff stated to his attorney that, notwithstanding the dental treatment he had already received, he continued to suffer pain in the upper left area of his mouth and that he wished to be examined by another dentist before he would agree to any settlement, whereupon the attorney recommended defendant, a dentist, for this purpose. Plaintiff went to the office of defendant who made the examination requested and in this connection made X-ray plates of plaintiff's mouth. By appointment plaintiff returned to defendant's office several days later and was advised by him ‘that the X-rays didn't show anything. It was just a local irritation and would clear up in a short time.’ Relying upon this assurance plaintiff executed a release in settlement of his claim. Plaintiff testified that thereafter he continued to suffer pain in the area complained of and that he suffered also from fatigue and other disorders for a considerable period of time but did nothing about it, relying again upon the assurance of defendant that it was a local irritation and would soon clear up. He testified also that he was obliged to lose time from his employment because of this condition and that he often suffered dizzy spells. In February 1942 he was accepted for service in the military establishment and while at an Army station in Florida the pain in his mouth and face was so severe that he fell unconscious during a military exercise. Upon being examined by Army physicians he was hospitalized. He called to the attention of these physicians the condition of his mouth and, after examination, an Army dental surgeon removed a tooth fragment from his upper left jaw. After this operation plaintiff's appetite improved, he experienced less fatigue and weakness, suffered no further dizzy spells, he felt better generally, ceased to suffer from bad breath and gained back the weight which he had lost.

Dr. Willis L. James, a qualified expert, testified on behalf of plaintiff that, just prior to the date of trial, he had examined plaintiff's mouth and the X-ray plates taken by defendant, that the X-ray plate of the involved area plainly showed the existence of the tooth fragment in the gum and that the existence of this tooth fragment could cause a toxic condition to exist in plaintiff's mouth which could result in the several disorders suffered by plaintiff.

Alleging that these illnesses...