Robles v. United States, 10th Cir. (2017)
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United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
July 19, 2017
TENTH CIRCUIT Elisabeth A. Shumaker
Clerk of Court
GABRIEL M. ROBLES,
Plaintiff - Appellant,
No. 17-3042
v. (D.C. No. 5:15-CV-04864-KHV)
(D. Kan.)
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Defendant - Appellee.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT *
Before KELLY, MURPHY, and MATHESON, Circuit Judges. **
Plaintiff-Appellant Gabriel M. Robles, appearing pro se, appeals from the
district courts grant of summary judgment to the government in his medical
malpractice claim against the United States and from its dismissal of his libel
claim for lack of jurisdiction. See Robles v. United States, No. 5:15-cv-4864-
KHV, 2017 WL 364598 (D. Kan. Jan. 25, 2017); 1 R. 13841. Exercising
*
This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the
doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. It may be cited,
however, for its persuasive value consistent with Fed. R. App. P. 32.1 and 10th
Cir. R. 32.1.
**
After examining the briefs and the appellate record, this three-judge
panel has determined unanimously that oral argument would not be of material
assistance in the determination of this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a); 10th
Cir. R. 34.1(G). The cause is therefore ordered submitted without oral argument.
jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1291, we affirm.
Background
Mr. Robless claims arise from his treatment by medical providers at the
Veterans Administration (VA). According to Mr. Robles, the VA failed to
properly diagnose his wrist pain as a ruptured tendon, and instead treated him
with Ibuprofin for a simple sprain. When Mr. Robles later found out that his pain
was caused by a torn tendon and soft tissue damage in his wrist, it was too late for
surgery. See Robles, 2017 WL 364598, at *3; 1 R. 1617. Accordingly, Mr.
Robles brought a claim for medical malpractice under the Federal Tort Claims
Act, 28 U.S.C. 2671 (FTCA). Mr. Robles also alleged that the government
engaged in a conspiracy to libel and slander him in order to avoid liability for its
malpractice. Robles, 2017 WL 364598, at *3.
The district court granted the government summary judgment on the
medical malpractice claim because Mr. Robles never identified an expert witness
to testify about the standard of care or how any breach by the VA caused Mr.
Robless injury. Id. at *46. The court concluded that the common knowledge
exception did not apply because an expert witness was necessary for a jury to
understand the proper standard of care. Id. at *6. The district court also ordered
Mr. Robles to show cause why it should not dismiss the libel claims since the
government had not waived its sovereign immunity for intentional torts. Id.; see
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28 U.S.C. 2680(h). After receiving Mr. Robless response, the court dismissed
the claims. 1 R. 13841.
Discussion
We review de novo the district courts grant of summary judgment and its
dismissal for lack of jurisdiction. See Cillo v. City of Greenwood Vill., 739 F.3d
451, 461 (10th Cir. 2013) (summary judgment); Trackwell v. U.S. Govt, 472
F.3d 1242, 1243 (10th Cir. 2007) (Rule (12)(b)(1) dismissal).
On appeal, Mr. Robles seems to contend that (1) the parties had previously
come to an agreement about expert witnesses and the government violated that
agreement by moving for dismissal or summary judgement, and (2) the common
knowledge exception should have applied. 1 Mr. Robles points to the pretrial
order as evidence that the parties had agreed on expert testimony. But that
pretrial order simply stated that the parties have stipulated that no motions will
be filed challenging the propriety of expert testimony in this case. 1 Supp. R.
19. The governments subsequent motion to dismiss / motion for summary
judgment which was also referenced in the pretrial order, id. at 18 did not
challenge the propriety of expert testimony, but rather argued that Mr. Robles had
1
Mr. Robless briefing is not altogether clear on this point, but we
construe his pleadings liberally given his pro se status. Mayfield v. Bethards, 826
F.3d 1252, 1255 (10th Cir. 2016). In doing so, we do not become his advocate or
make his arguments for him. Hall v. Bellmon, 935 F.2d 1106, 1110 (10th Cir.
1991).
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not disclosed any information about an expert witness who would testify about the
standard of care. See 1 R. 6869. Moreover, Mr. Robles had long been on notice
that he was to disclose that information in accordance with Fed. R. Civ. P.
26(a)(2), as he acknowledged in his initial disclosures. 1 R. 7274. Yet in none
of those disclosures did he say that anyone would testify about the standard of
care or whether the doctors in question breached that standard much less did
he provide a detailed written report by the expert witness as required by Fed. R.
Civ. P. 26(a)(2)(B). The same is true for the witnesses discussed in Mr. Robless
response to the governments motion for summary judgment. See 1 R. 9091.
As for Mr. Robless contention on appeal that no expert witness was needed
because the common knowledge exception should have applied, 2 we agree with
the district court that the care and treatment of plaintiffs wrist injury is not
something within the common knowledge of the jury. Robles, 2017 WL 364598,
at *6. Under Kansas state law, the general rule is that expert testimony is
required to establish the appropriate standard of care in medical malpractice
claims. Perkins v. Susan B. Allen Meml Hosp., 146 P.3d 1102, 110506 (Kan.
Ct. App. 2006). The exception to this is when what is alleged to have occurred
in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of a patient is so obviously lacking in
reasonable care and the results are so bad that the lack of reasonable care would
2
Mr. Robles did not raise this issue before the district court, but the court
considered the argument on its own initiative. Robles, 2017 WL 364598, at *6.
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be apparent to and within the common knowledge and experience of mankind
generally. Id. at 1106 (citation and internal quotation marks omitted). Suffice it
to say, Mr. Robless situation does not fit the exception. It is not clear without
expert testimony whether an initial misdiagnosis of a patients wrist pain as being
caused by a sprain as opposed to a ruptured tendon is patently bad care. Cf. id.
(collecting and discussing cases).
We also reject Mr. Robless assorted theories of conspiracy to commit libel
and slander as expressly excluded from the FTCAs waiver of sovereign
immunity. 28 U.S.C. 2680(h). Thus, the district court was without jurisdiction
to consider them.
Finally, the new arguments Mr. Robles makes on appeal concerning bias by
the district court have been forfeited, and in any event rely on unsupported and
highly tenuous speculation. See Hinman v. Rogers, 831 F.2d 937, 939 (10th Cir.
1987).
AFFIRMED.
Entered for the Court
Paul J. Kelly, Jr.
Circuit Judge
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