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Ramos vs.

CA
G.R. No. 124354 December 29, 1999
Lessons Applicable: Personal Injury and Death (Torts and Damages)
Laws Applicable:
FAT!:
June 17, 1985 afternoon "rlinda #amos$ 47!"ear o#$ robust
%oman un$er%ent on an o&erat'on to t(e stone at (er )a## b#a$$er
remove$ after be'n) teste$ t(at s(e %as *t
for +c(o#ec"stectom"+ o&erat'on &erforme$ b" Dr% &rlino 'o(a)a%
Dr% 'osa)a charged a *ee o* P+,$---%--$ which was to include the
anesthesiologist.s *ee and which was to be paid a*ter the operation%
'e assured #ogelio "% #amos$ husband that he will get a
good anesthesiologist who was Dra. ,erfecta Gut'erre-% "rlinda.s
hand was held by 'erminda ru($ her sister /in/law who was the
Dean o* the ollege o* 0ursing at the apitol 1edical enter
together with her husband went down with her to the operating
room%
Instead o* 2:3- am$ Dr% 'osa)a arri4ed at about +5:+6 P%1%
'erminda noticing what Dra% Per*ecta 7utierre( was doing$ saw
the nailbed o* "rlinda becoming bluish and Dr% 'osa)a called *or
another anesthesiologist Dr% alderon%
!he went out o* the operating room to tell #ogelio that
something is wrong%
8hen she went bac) she saw "rlinda in a trendelenburg position
and at 3 p%m% she was ta)en to the Intensi4e are 9nit (I9) where
she stayed *or a month due to bronchospasm incurring P23$6:5%56
and she was since then comatosed%
!he su**ered brain damage as a result o* the absence
o* o;ygen in her brain *or *our to *i4e minutes%
.(e %as a#so $'a)nose$ to be su/er'n) from +$'/use
cerebra# &arenc("ma# $ama)e+
1onthly e;penses ranged *rom P<$--- to P+-$---
!pouses #amos and their minors *iled against Dr% 'osa)a
and Dra% Per*ecta 7utierre(
#T: *a4ored the #amos. awarding P<$--- as actual monthly
e;penses totalling to P,35$--- as of A&r'# 15, 1992, ,100,000 att".
fees, ,800,000 mora# $ama)es,P5--$--- e;emplary damages and
cost o* suit
A: re4ersed ordering the #amos. to pay their unpaid bills
o* P23$6:5%56 plus interest
I!!9": 8=0 the #amos. are entitled to damages
'"LD: >"!% A modi*ied in *a4or o* petitioners$ and solidarily against
pri4ate respondents the *ollowing: +) P+$365$--- actual damages
computed as o* the date o* promulgation plus a monthly payment o*
P<$---%-- up to the time that petitioner "rlinda #amos e;pires or
miraculously sur4i4es? 5) P5$---$--- moral damages$ 3) P+$6--$---
temperate damages? :) P+--$--- e;emplary damages
and P+--$--- attorney.s *ees? and$ 6) the costs o* the suit%
1(e a&&#'cat'on of res '&sa #o2u'tur 'n me$'ca# ne)#')ence cases
&resents a 2uest'on of #a% s'nce 't 's a 3u$'c'a# funct'on to $eterm'ne
%(et(er a certa'n set of c'rcumstances $oes, as a matter of #a%,
&erm't a )'ven 'nference.
$octr'ne of res '&sa #o2u'tur 's ava'#e$ b" t(e &#a'nt'/, t(e nee$
for e4&ert me$'ca# test'mon" 's $'s&ense$ %'t( because t(e 'n3ur"
'tse#f &rov'$es t(e &roof of ne)#')ence ! a&&#'cab#e 'n t('s case
$octr'ne of res '&sa #o2u'tur can (ave no a&&#'cat'on 'n a su't
a)a'nst a &("s'c'an or sur)eon %('c( 'nvo#ves t(e mer'ts of a
$'a)nos's or of a sc'ent'*c treatment
As borne b" t(e recor$s, res&on$ent Dra. Gut'erre- fa'#e$ to
&ro&er#" 'ntubate t(e &at'ent accor$'n) to %'tness 'erminda
5't( (er c#'n'ca# bac6)roun$ as a nurse, t(e Court 's
sat's*e$ %'t( (er test'mon"
Dra. Gut'erre-7 act of see'n) (er &at'ent for t(e *rst t'me on#" an
(our before t(e sc(e$u#e$ o&erat've &roce$ure %as, t(erefore, an
act of e4ce&t'ona# ne)#')ence an$ &rofess'ona# 'rres&ons'b'#'t"
Genera##", to 2ua#'f" as an e4&ert %'tness, one must (ave
ac2u're$ s&ec'a# 6no%#e$)e of t(e sub3ect matter about %('c( (e or
s(e 's to test'f", e't(er b" t(e stu$" of reco)n'-e$ aut(or't'es on t(e
sub3ect or b" &ract'ca# e4&er'ence.
Dr. Jamora, not an anest(es'o#o)'st, state$ t(at o4")en
$e&r'vat'on %('c( #e$ to ano4'c ence&(a#o&at(" was due to an
unpredictable drug reaction to the short/acting barbiturate was not
accepted as e;pert opinion
Dr. 8osa6a7s ne)#')ence can be foun$ 'n ('s fa'#ure to e4erc'se
t(e &ro&er aut(or't" 'n not $eterm'n'n) 'f ('s anest(es'o#o)'st
observe$ &ro&er anest(es'a &rotoco#s
Dr. 8osa6a (a$ sc(e$u#e$ anot(er &roce$ure 'n a $'/erent
(os&'ta# at t(e same t'me as 9r#'n$a7s c(o#ec"stectom", an$ %as 'n
fact over t(ree (ours #ate for t(e #atter7s o&erat'on. :ecause of t('s,
(e (a$ #'tt#e or no t'me to confer %'t( ('s anest(es'o#o)'st re)ar$'n)
t(e anest(es'a $e#'ver". 1('s 'n$'cates t(at (e %as rem'ss 'n ('s
&rofess'ona# $ut'es to%ar$s ('s &at'ent
&r'vate (os&'ta#s, ('re, *re an$ e4erc'se rea# contro# over t(e'r
atten$'n) an$ v's't'n) +consu#tant+ sta/. 5('#e +consu#tants+ are
not, tec(n'ca##" em&#o"ees, a &o'nt %('c( res&on$ent (os&'ta#
asserts 'n $en"'n) a## res&ons'b'#'t" for t(e &at'ent7s con$'t'on, t(e
contro# e4erc'se$, t(e ('r'n), an$ t(e r')(t to term'nate consu#tants
a## fu#*## t(e 'm&ortant (a##mar6s of an em&#o"er!em&#o"ee
re#at'ons('&, %'t( t(e e4ce&t'on of t(e &a"ment of %a)es.
Art. 2199. ; 94ce&t as &rov'$e$ b" #a% or b" st'&u#at'on, one 's
ent't#e$ to an a$e2uate com&ensat'on on#" for suc( &ecun'ar" #oss
su/ere$ b" ('m as (e (as $u#" &rove$. .uc( com&ensat'on 's
referre$ to as actua# or com&ensator" $ama)es.
tem&erate $ama)es can an$ s(ou#$ be a%ar$e$ on to& of actua#
or com&ensator" $ama)es 'n 'nstances %(ere t(e 'n3ur" 's c(ron'c
an$ cont'nu'n). An$ because of t(e un'2ue nature of suc( cases, no
'ncom&at'b'#'t" ar'ses %(en bot( actua# an$ tem&erate $ama)es are
&rov'$e$ for. 1(e reason 's t(at t(ese $ama)es cover t%o $'st'nct
&(ases.
1(e" s(ou#$ not be com&e##e$ b" $'re c'rcumstances to &rov'$e
substan$ar$ care at (ome %'t(out t(e a'$ of &rofess'ona#s, for
an"t('n) #ess %ou#$ be )ross#" 'na$e2uate. <n$er t(e
c'rcumstances, an a%ar$ of ,1,500,000.00 'n tem&erate $ama)es
%ou#$ t(erefore be reasonab#e.
t(e $ama)e $one to (er %ou#$ not on#" be &ermanent an$
#ast'n), 't %ou#$ a#so be &ermanent#" c(an)'n) an$ a$3ust'n) to t(e
&("s'o#o)'c c(an)es %('c( (er bo$" %ou#$ norma##" un$er)o
t(rou)( t(e "ears.
9r#'n$a Ramos %as 'n (er m'$!fort'es %(en t(e 'nc'$ent occurre$.
.(e (as been 'n a comatose state for over fourteen "ears no%
Ramos7 are c(ar)e$ %'t( t(e mora# res&ons'b'#'t" of t(e care of
t(e v'ct'm. 1(e fam'#"7s mora# 'n3ur" an$ su/er'n) 'n t('s case 's
c#ear#" a rea# one. A%ar$ of ,2,000,000 'n mora# $ama)es %ou#$ be
a&&ro&r'ate.
='na##", b" %a" of e4am&#e, e4em&#ar" $ama)es 'n t(e amount of
,100,000.00 are (ereb" a%ar$e$. Cons'$er'n) t(e #en)t( an$
nature of t(e 'nstant su't %e are of t(e o&'n'on t(at attorne"7s fees
va#ue$ at ,100,000 are #'6e%'se &ro&er.

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