Lucas v. U.S. (Two Cases), s. 84-1296

CourtUnited States Courts of Appeals. United States Court of Appeals (5th Circuit)
Citation811 F.2d 270
Docket NumberNos. 84-1296,84-1437,s. 84-1296
PartiesRichard LUCAS, et al., Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. UNITED STATES of America, Defendant-Appellant. Richard LUCAS, et al., Plaintiffs-Appellants Cross-Appellees, v. UNITED STATES of America, Defendant-Appellee Cross-Appellant.
Decision Date12 February 1987

Irene M. Solet, Robert S. Greenspan, Bruce G. Forrest, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Civil Div., Sandra Simon, Civil Rights Div., Appellate Staff, Dept. of Justice, Washington, D.C., for defendant-appellant.

Walter L. Boyaki, El Paso, Tex., for plaintiffs-appellees.

Walter L. Boyaki, El Paso, Tex., for plaintiffs-appellants cross-appellees.

Irene M. Solet, Appellate Staff, Helen M. Eversberg, U.S. Atty., El Paso, Tex., Robert S. Greenspan, Dept of Just., Civil Div., Bruce G. Forrest, Washington, D.C., for defendant-appellee cross-appellant.

Appeals from the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas.

Before POLITZ, HIGGINBOTHAM, and JONES, Circuit Judges.

BY THE COURT:

CERTIFICATION FROM THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR

THE FIFTH CIRCUIT TO THE SUPREME COURT OF TEXAS

PURSUANT TO RULE 114(a), TEXAS RULES OF

APPELLATE PROCEDURE

TO THE SUPREME COURT OF TEXAS AND THE HONORABLE JUSTICES THEREOF:

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit having heretofore determined (807 F.2d 414 (1986)) that the above styled case in this Court involves a question of law of the State of Texas that is determinative of the cause, and that there appears to be no clear controlling precedent in the decisions of the Supreme Court of Texas, this Court, pursuant to Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 114(a), hereby certifies the following question of law to the Supreme Court of Texas for instructions concerning said question, based on the facts recited herein.

I. STYLE OF THE CASE

The style of the case in which this certificate is made is Richard Lucas, et al., Plaintiffs-appellees/Cross-appellants, versus United States of America, Defendant-appellant/Cross-appellee, Nos. 84-1296 and 84-1437, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, on appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas.

II. FACTS

In October 1980, 14-month old Christopher Lucas was treated for a swollen neck and fever at William Beaumont Army Medical Center near El Paso, Texas. Pursuant to a doctor's orders, a nurse at the hospital administered an injection of 600,000 units of Bicillin LA, a penicillin product manufactured and packaged by Wyeth Laboratories. The drug was injected directly into a blood vessel, causing a blockage of blood flow which resulted in permanent damage to certain nerves, rendering the child a paraplegic.

Christopher Lucas and his parents sued the United States under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). The complaint included separate claims by Christopher and by the parents. The United States filed a third party complaint against Wyeth Laboratories. The plaintiffs had filed a separate cause of action in the 205th District Court in El Paso County, Texas, against Wyeth Laboratories. That case was settled for $400,000. Subsequently, on the first day of trial of the suit against the United States in United States District Court, the government moved over plaintiffs' objection for dismissal with prejudice of its third party cause of action against Wyeth Laboratories. That motion was granted.

After trial, the district court held that government medical personnel had negligently administered the injection to Christopher Lucas. In addition, the court found that the package insert which accompanied the drug from Wyeth Laboratories was inadequate but concluded that since the third party action against Wyeth had been dismissed prior to trial, it was unnecessary to discuss Wyeth's negligence further.

The district court awarded the plaintiff parents $498,623.72 as the present value of the past and future medical expenses they face in caring for Christopher until his majority. The court also awarded to Christopher $350,000 as the present value of the future medical expenses he will incur after his eighteenth birthday, and $600,000 as the present value of the impairment of his future earning capacity. Finally, the court awarded Christopher $1.5 million for pain and suffering. The court made no findings concerning the parents' claims for their own mental anguish and loss of companionship. The district court reduced the total award of damages against the United States by the $400,000 paid by Wyeth Laboratories to the Lucases in settlement of the state court suit. The court refused to apply Tex.Rev.Civ.Stat.Ann. art. 4590i Sec. 11.02 (Vernon Supp.1986) to limit the nonmedical damages, stating that the provision does not apply...

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6 cases
  • Lucas v. U.S.
    • United States
    • Texas Supreme Court
    • May 11, 1988
    ...on questions certified by a federal appellate court. See Lucas v. United States, 807 F.2d 414 (5th Cir.1986), questions certified, 811 F.2d 270 (5th Cir.1987). Pursuant to Tex. Const. art. V, § 3-c, we have jurisdiction to answer the questions certified, which are as Whether the limitation ......
  • Williams v. Kushner
    • United States
    • Louisiana Supreme Court
    • September 12, 1989
    ...(La.1985).2 The medical malpractice legislation was repealed but Idaho now has a $400,000 ceiling on all noneconomic damages.3 811 F.2d 270 (5th Cir.1987).1 The issue of the applicability in this case of the exclusion of medical and related expenses from the $500,000 limitation arises from ......
  • Rose v. Doctors Hosp.
    • United States
    • Texas Supreme Court
    • December 19, 1990
    ...and if so, whether it applies to limit the liability of each defendant rather than the recovery of each claimant. Lucas v. United States, 811 F.2d 270, 271 (5th Cir.1987). By answering the first question in the negative, we struck down the medical malpractice "caps" without regard to the ty......
  • Wheat v. U.S.
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Fifth Circuit
    • November 30, 1988
    ...another case to the Texas Supreme Court, asking the court to decide whether the cap violated the Texas Constitution. Lucas v. United States, 811 F.2d 270 (5th Cir.1987). The court held that the cap violated Article I, Sec. 13 of the Texas Constitution, the "open courts" provision of that in......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

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