Justia Idaho Supreme Court Opinion Summaries

Harvey Wainio’s primary care physician referred him to podiatrist Dr. Richard M. Allen, because of a bunion on his right foot. In Wainio's first meeting with Dr. Allen, the doctor recommended surgery. Wainio agreed to have the surgery, and he again met with Dr. Allen at his office for a preoperative visit. Dr. Allen performed the surgery at Syringa Surgical Center, LLC (“the Surgical Center”). Three days later, Wainio began having symptoms that caused him to seek emergency medical treatment. Due to insufficient blood flow to his right foot and an infection, his foot became necrotic, requiring amputation of the foot. The Surgical Center moved for summary judgment which was granted, with the trial court finding that at the time of the alleged negligence, Dr. Allen was not acting in the capacity of an agent of the Surgical Center or as a member of its medical staff. Wainio appealed, arguing dismissing the Surgical Center was made in error. But finding none, the Supreme Court affirmed. View "Shatto v. Syringa Surgical Center" on Justia Law

Betty S. Harper (“Claimant”) was terminated from her employment with Phed Investments, Ltd. d/b/a Silverstone Inn and Suites (“Employer”), a hotel located in Post Falls, where she had been employed as a night auditor. She had worked at the same hotel for over ten years, during which time there had been several ownership and management changes. The most recent owner had acquired the property in February 2013. In February 2014, Employer implemented a new computer-based system that handled reservations and credit card batches. After implementation of that system, Claimant’s job performance declined. The manager noticed errors in Claimant’s work on the days he came in for the morning shift to relieve her. He verbally counseled her, and she would acknowledge that she could do better. When her performance did not improve, Employer reduced her hours to three days a week and then to two days a week. Claimant was ultimately terminated for failing to perform her duties and for insubordination. Claimant applied for unemployment benefits, which were denied on the ground that she was terminated for misconduct. Claimant appealed, and the matter was heard de novo by an appeals examiner who conducted an evidentiary hearing by telephone. The appeals examiner held that Claimant was entitled to benefits, and Employer appealed to the Industrial Commission. It reviewed the record de novo and issued a decision and order denying benefits on the ground that Claimant was discharged for employment-related misconduct based upon her failure to perform her job duties to Employer’s expectations when she was capable of doing so and for insubordination. Claimant then appealed to the Supreme Court. Finding no error in the Commission's decision, the Supreme Court affirmed. View "Harper v. Dept of Labor" on Justia Law

This lawsuit involved a subdivision named Pend Oreille View Estates, which was developed in two phases. Pend Oreille View Estates Owner’s Association, Inc. ("Association") desired to pave the roads that went from the public road, across Phase I, to Phase II because of the dust created by vehicles on the roads and the cost of maintaining unpaved roads. The matter was put to a vote to the members of the Association, and the decision was made to pave the roads. After an amendment to the Association bylaws, it sent notices of assessments to all of its members who owned property in Phases I and II. T.T., LLC, Nadia Beiser, David M. Richards, Mary Beth Giacomo, and Matthew A. Farner (collectively “the Defendants”) all owned real property in Phase II. The Association sent them bills for their respective assessments. When they did not pay the assessments, the Association recorded liens against their properties, and later filed suit to foreclose on those liens. Defendants appealed, arguing the Association was without authority to pave the roads and bill them through the assessments (leading to liens on their properites). Finding no error in the district court's judgment in favor of the Association, the Supreme Court affirmed. View "Pend Oreille View Estates Homeowners' Association v. T.T. LLC" on Justia Law

This appeal centered on the legality of a Joint Powers Agreement (“JPA”) entered into in 2003 between the Independent Highway District (“IHD”) and the City of Sandpoint (“City”) to settle litigation between the two. The JPA provided for the City to assume control of all streets in the City and for IHD to pay over to the City all highway ad valorem taxes collected on property in the city limits. After the parties had operated under the JPA for ten years, IHD notified the City that, upon reflection, it had determined the JPA was legally void and that it would no longer pay its share of the property taxes to the City. The City filed suit against IHD for breach of contract and sought both a declaratory ruling that the JPA was valid and an order enjoining IHD from interfering with the City’s control of the streets within city limits. The district court ruled in favor of the City on summary judgment and granted attorney fees. IHD appealed. Finding that the JPA was void and unenforceable (violating Idaho Code section 67-2328), the Supreme Court reversed the trial court's judgment and remanded this case for for the trial court to unwind the relationship between the parties. View "City of Sandpoint v. Independent Hwy Dist" on Justia Law

David and Jayme Samples (“the Samples”) appealed the grant of summary judgment in favor of Dr. Ray Hanson and Bingham Memorial Hospital in a medical malpractice action. Mr. Samples was admitted to Bingham Memorial Hospital (“BMH”) in Blackfoot with abdominal pain and was found to have acute cholecystitis. Dr. Hanson performed a laparoscopic cholecystectomy on Mr. Samples. Dr. Birkenhagen was a practicing surgeon at PMC in 2009 when Dr. Hanson performed the laparoscopic cholecystectomy on Mr. Samples. Dr. Birkenhagen was a member of the American College of Surgeons and board certified at the time. At PMC, Dr. Birkenhagen re-opened the surgical site and discovered sepsis. Dr. Birkenhagen removed significant amounts of pus and later operated in order to repair a hole in the colon, which had allowed stool to leak out of the incision at the surgical site. The sepsis had caused Mr. Samples’ respiratory distress. Samples filed suit against BMH and Dr. Hanson for medical malpractice. The district court granted summary judgment after it determined that the Samples failed to establish the necessary foundation under Idaho Code sections 6-1012 and 6-1013 to admit testimony from the Samples’ only medical expert. The Supreme Court reversed and remanded: "This is not a complicated standard of care. It merely calls for basic post-operative care to ensure that the patient does not suffer infection or complications. It is not a standard of care that requires detailed specialization, intricate treatments, expensive equipment, or detailed knowledge of drug interactions. One would hope that any surgeon, regardless of whether operating in the backwoods or a metropolitan hospital, would monitor the patient post-operatively to ensure a decent recovery without infection or complications. That didn’t happen with Mr. Samples, as outlined by Dr. Birkenhagen." View "Samples v. Hanson" on Justia Law

Nancy Shepherd appealed a district court decision affirming the magistrate court’s final decision granting in part and denying in part her motion to modify a decree of divorce. Nancy argued that the district court erred by refusing to set aside John Shepherd’s visitation under the decree because the magistrate court lacked subject matter jurisdiction to award custody rights to a non-parent and the child’s biological father, Ralph Bartholdt (Ralph), was not a party to the divorce. Finding no reversible error, the Supreme Court affirmed. View "Shepherd v. Shepherd" on Justia Law

This case related to J.H.’s developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). Early diagnosis of DDH in children is important because early treatment is much easier, less invasive, less complicated, and more effective. Risk factors for a child to develop DDH include: breach birth, female gender, premature birth, first-born child, and high birth weight. J.H. was born five weeks short of full term in September of 2008. She was Galyena Hoffer's first child. Various doctors who examined J.H. during the first six weeks of her life did not observe signs of DDH. Between November 13, 2008, and October 5, 2009, Dr. Scott Shappard saw J.H. for five well-baby examinations. J.H. subsequently had problems while learning to walk that appear to have resulted from DDH. Because of these problems, the Hoffers took her to an orthopedic specialist, Dr. Stanley Waters, for two visits in February and December of 2010. Dr. Waters recognized that J.H. had DDH, but did not tell the Hoffers that she needed immediate treatment. In May of 2012, the Hoffers took J.H. to Dr. Larry Showalter. Dr. Showalter identified an inch and a half leg difference and the presence of an asymmetrical skin fold. Dr. Showalter immediately ordered x-rays and subsequently performed open reduction surgery in August of 2012, when J.H. was four years old. He testified that the results of the surgery have “so far” been good, but there are risks of “big complications” in the future. One of the Hoffers’ expert witnesses, Dr. David Butuk, opined that Dr. Shappard failed to comply with the community standard of health care practice because of his disregard for the presence of an obvious asymmetrical skin fold, a difference in leg length, and repeated expressions of parental concern. Dr. Shappard, Genesis Medical Center, P.A., and St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center (collectively “Providers”) appealed an $847,974.46 judgment entered against them after a jury trial when Galyena Hoffer and her husband Randy sued on J.H.'s behalf. The jury found that Dr. Shappard negligently and recklessly failed to diagnose J.H.’s medical condition. The district court denied the Providers’ post-trial motions seeking to correct the verdict, a new trial, and judgment notwithstanding the verdict (JNOV). Providers appealed the denial of these motions and further asserted that the district court erred at trial by refusing to send an exhibit back to the jury room for deliberations and in its jury instructions. Finding no reversible error, the Supreme Court affirmed. View "Hoffer v. Shappard" on Justia Law

John Doe was involved in a fight with his sixteen-year-old daughter, C.G., resulting in C.G. sustaining a concussion and cervical strain. The magistrate court entered a civil protection order., which it subsequently modified. John Doe appealed, arguing that the magistrate court erred when it determined that there was an “immediate and present danger of domestic violence” warranting issuance of the protection order and that the court abused its discretion when it specified that the protection order would be in effect for a year. Finding no reversible error, the Supreme Court affirmed. View "Jane Doe (2016-01) v. John Doe" on Justia Law

Jane Doe (“Mother”) appealed a magistrate court’s judgment terminating her parental rights as to her children, D.M., A.M., J.S., A.L., and R.L. She argued that the State failed to produce clear and convincing evidence sufficient to overcome the presumption that she could parent her children. Specifically, Mother argued that: (1) the last eight months of her participation in the case plan contravene a finding of neglect; and (2) the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (“IDHW”) failed to help reunify the family. Finding no reversible error, the Supreme Court affirmed. View "H&W v. Jane Doe (2016-11)" on Justia Law

Appellant John Thornton, represented by his wife Val Thornton, sued sisters Mary Pandrea and Kari Clark to quiet title to an easement reserved in their names on real property he owned that was adjacent to real property that was jointly owned by the sisters. Clark counterclaimed against John Thornton, seeking declaratory relief establishing her rights in the easement and damages for interference with her easement rights. While this case was pending, the real property jointly owned by Pandrea and Clark was judicially partitioned in a separate proceeding; Pandrea remained as the sole owner of the property adjacent to the easement in question and Clark owned nearby non-adjacent property. The district court granted Clark’s motion for summary judgment on all of John Thornton’s claims against her and on all her counterclaims except her claim for damages. The court denied John Thornton’s motion for summary judgment and subsequent motion for reconsideration. By stipulation, the court dismissed John Thornton’s claims against Pandrea and Clark’s damages claim against him. After all claims were adjudicated, the district court awarded attorney fees to Clark against John Thornton under Idaho Code section 12-121 and against both Mr. Thornton and Ms. Thornton jointly and severally as Rule 11 sanctions. John Thornton appealed several decisions of the district court. Val Thornton, as intervenor, appealed the district court’s imposition of sanctions. After entry of judgment, Kenneth Barrett and Deanna Barrett (“the Barretts”) purchased Clark’s property and substituted in the stead of Clark in the underlying action and in this appeal. John Thornton moved for a stay of execution and waiver of supersedeas bond, which the district court denied. The court granted the Barretts’ motion for sanctions against Mr. Thornton and Ms. Thornton based on the motion for stay. Finding no reversible error in the district court's judgment, the Supreme Court affirmed. View "Thornton v. Pandrea" on Justia Law