Revitalizing Louisiana's Lost Chance Doctrine: Burchfield v. Wright Sheds Light on the Need for Medical Expenses

• Author: Madeleine K. Morgan
• Position: J.D./D.C.L., 2020. Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University
• Pages: 488-541

Louisiana Law Review Louisiana Law Review

Volume 80

Number 2

Winter 2020

Article 13

4-22-2020

Revitalizing Louisiana's Lost Chance Doctrine: Burch=eld v. Wright Revitalizing Louisiana's Lost Chance Doctrine: Burch=eld v. Wright

Sheds Light on the Need for Medical Expenses Sheds Light on the Need for Medical Expenses

Madeleine K. Morgan

Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.law.lsu.edu/lalrev

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Repository Citation Repository Citation

Madeleine K. Morgan,

Revitalizing Louisiana's Lost Chance Doctrine: Burch=eld v. Wright Sheds Light on

the Need for Medical Expenses

, 80 La. L. Rev. (2020)

Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.lsu.edu/lalrev/vol80/iss2/13

This Comment is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Reviews and Journals at LSU Law Digital

Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Louisiana Law Review by an authorized editor of LSU Law Digital

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Revitalizing Louisiana’s Lost Chance Doctrine:

Burchfield v. Wright Sheds Light on the Need for

Medical Expenses

Madeleine K. Morgan*

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction .................................................................................. 488

I. The Policy-Driven Road to Adopting Lost Chance

of a Better Outcome ..................................................................... 492

A. Origins of the Lost Chance Doctrine ..................................... 493

B. Lost Chance in Medical Malpractice:

A Cure for What Seemed Impossible .................................... 495

1. The Traditional Negligence Standard’s Limitations ....... 495

2. Lost Chance Doctrine as a Solution ................................ 497

C. The Evolution of the Lost Chance Doctrine in the

United States and Louisiana .................................................. 499

1. Lost Chance Doctrine in the United States:

from Hicks to Herskovitz................................................. 500

2. Development of the Lost Chance Doctrine in

Louisiana: From Hastings to Smith ................................. 502

3. Extension of the Lost Chance Doctrine to

“Lost Chance of a Better Outcome”................................ 504

D. Fashioning Lost Chance Remedies: Louisiana’s

Take on Medical Malpractice Damages ................................ 506

II. The Development of Lost Chance of a Better Outcome

in Louisiana................................................................ .................. 511

A. Graham v. Willis-Knighton and Its Evasion

of the Damages Issue ............................................................. 511

B. The Louisiana Supreme Court’s Current Approach .............. 512

1. Cutting into Burchfield v. Wright.................................... 513

2. The Burchfield Opinion: Lost Chance Plaintiffs

May Not Recover Medical Expenses

as Special Damages......................................................... 514

III. Role of Tort Law Fundamentals in Developing

A Lost Chance Remedy................................................................ 516

A. Deterrence of Negligent Treatment ....................................... 517

B. Compensation and Corrective Justice ....................................519

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488 LOUISIANA LAW REVIEW [Vol. 80

IV. Complications from Louisiana’s Current

Lost Chance Approach ................................................................. 520

A. Burchfield’s Deference to Smith’s Lump Sum

Approach Lacks Nuance........................................................ 521

B. Lack of an Easily Reviewable Award.................................... 523

C. Fundamental Fairness Issues the

Burchfield Opinion Poses ...................................................... 524

V. Recovery: Solutions to the Problem Burchfield

Presents in Louisiana.................................................................... 526

A. The Subjective Lump Sum Method Alone

Should Not Apply to Lost Chance......................................... 526

B. The Medical Malpractice Cap Should Not Limit

Lost Chance Plaintiffs’ Recovery of Future

Medical Expenses .................................................................. 527

C. Lost Chance of Survival Plaintiffs Should Recover

Past Medical Expenses .......................................................... 530

D. Implementing a Solution: Louisiana Should Require

Separation of Medical Damages and General

Damages in Awarding Lost Chance Damages....................... 531

1. General “Lump Sum” Damages as Provided

in Smith: Too General ..................................................... 535

2. Percentage Probability Damages:

Not Proportional Enough ................................................ 536

Conclusion.................................................................................... 538

INTRODUCTION

In the Louisiana Supreme Court case Burchfield v. Wright, Dr. Wright,

a physician at Willis-Knighton Medical Center, failed to review

Burchfield’s charts prior to a routine gallbladder surgery.1 Had he

reviewed the charts, Dr. Wright would have discovered that his patient’s

Copyright 2020, by MADELEINE K. MORGAN.

* J.D./D.C.L., 2020. Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University.

I would like to specially thank Dean Tom Galligan for calling my attention to this

topic and for his guidance throughout the writing process. This Comment is

dedicated to my parents, Kevin and Beryl Morgan, for their endless support in all of

my endeavors.

1. Burchfield v. Wright, 275 So. 3d 855, 857 (La. 2018).