12. Sps. Flores v. Sps. Pineda, et. al., G.R. No.

158996, November 2008

FACTS:
Teresita, went to United Doctors Medical Center (UDMC) to get treatment with her
vaginal bleeding. Petitioner arrived and checked up Teresita and admitted her in the
hospital. She scheduled the patient for a D&C operation to find out the cause of bleeding.
Before the operation, the patient was subjected to laboratory testing. Without the
complete laboratory test results, the petitioners proceeded with the operation. After the
operation, all the laboratory result arrived which indicated that the patient has a very high
blood sugar. The patient’s condition became worse and eventually died. This prompted
the respondent to file a medical negligence case against the petitioner which was granted
by the RTC and affirmed by the CA. Hence this case.
ISSUE:
WON the Petitioner spouses exercised due care and prudence in the performance of their
duties as medical professionals and did not commit medical negligence.
RULING:
No. The SC held that the petitioner spouses did not exercise due care and prudence in the
performance of their duties as medical professionals and did commit medical negligence.
A medical negligence case is a type of claim to redress a wrong committed by a medical
professional, that has caused bodily harm to or the death of a patient. There are four
elements involved in a medical negligence case, namely: duty, breach, injury, and
proximate causation.
Duty refers to the standard of behavior which imposes restrictions on one’s conduct. The
standard in turn refers to the amount of competence associated with the proper discharge
of the profession. A physician is expected to use at least the same level of care that any
other reasonably competent doctor would use under the same circumstances. Breach of
duty occurs when the physician fails to comply with these professional standards.
If injury results to the patient as a result of this breach, the physician is answerable for
negligence.
Causal connection between the negligence which the evidence established and the
plaintiff’s injuries is the critical and clinching factor in a medical negligence case; the
plaintiff must plead and prove not only that he had been injured and defendant has been
at fault, but also that the defendant’s fault caused the injury. A verdict in a malpractice
action cannot be based on speculation or conjecture. Causation must be proven within a
reasonable medical probability based upon competent expert testimony.
When the Petitioner proceeded with the operation without the comprehensive pre-
operative evaluation, constitute medical negligence.