Thе appellant, Joint Medical Products Corporation (Medical Products), challenges a summary judgment entered in favor of the appellee, NME Hospitals, Inc., d/b/a Seven Rivers Community Hospital (hospital). The summary judgment awarded the hospital attorney’s fees аnd costs that it incurred in defending a medical malpractice claim brought against both the hospital and Medical Products. We revеrse.
Dominick Azzariti and his wife, Domeni-ca Azzariti, filed an action against Medical Products and the hospital for damages Mr. Azzariti sustained аs a result of an allegedly defective hip prosthesis manufactured by Medical Products and placed in his body at the hospital. The complaint contained counts which alleged product liability theories against the hospital because it supplied
Thé hospital moved to dismiss the action because Mr. Azzariti had failed to satisfy the presuit screening requirements of Chapter 766, Florida Statutes (1989). The trial court granted the hospital’s motion to dismiss the negligence claim against it but denied thе motion to dismiss the product liability claims. After the negligence claim against the hospital had been dismissed, Medical Products, at the request of the hospital and based upon the pleadings as they then stood, agreed to indemnify the hospital and to assume its defense. Medical Products refused, however, to file a petition for writ of certiorari seeking to overturn the trial court’s order denying the hospital’s motion to dismiss the product liability claims against the hospital.
After Medical Products refused to seek a writ of certiorari, the hospital proceeded to do so and also filed a cross-claim seeking indemnity from Medical Products for its attorney’s fees and costs. In NME Hospitals, Inc. v. Azzariti,
Although the action against Medical Products remained pending, and the record on appeal indicаtes it is still pending, the hospital then began prosecuting its cross-claim for indemnity. The hospital alleged that any responsibility on its part for the Azzaritis’ losses was purely vicarious, constructive, derivative, or technical, and that the hospital was entitled to common law indemnity from the manufacturer, Medical Products. Medical Products had answered the cross-claim subsequent to the order dismissing the negligenсe count against the hospital but prior to this court’s decision referenced above. The answer contained an affirmative defense that after the negligence action was dismissed Medical Products had offered to indemnify the hospital and to assume its dеfense. The hospital then filed a motion for summary judgment. The motion alleged that since Medical Products refused to prosecute the hospital’s appeal, the hospital was required to do so and that it should be indemnified for attorney’s fees and costs incurrеd in that appeal. The trial court granted the hospital’s motion and this timely appeal of the final summary judgment awarding attorney’s fеes and costs followed.
The hospital’s cross-claim seeking attorney’s fees and costs was based upon the theory of common law indemnification. “Indemnity is a right which inures to one who discharges a duty owed by him, but which, as between himself and another, should have been disсharged by the other and is allowable only where the whole fault is in the one against whom indemnity is sought.” Houdaille Ind., Inc. v. Edwards,
If Medical Products prevails at trial and is found free of fault, the hospital will lose its right to claim common law indemnity. Amisub of Florida, Inc. v. Billington,
The hospital contends that the summary judgment can be upheld because Medical Products agreеd to assume its defense and then failed to provide an adequate defense. We reject this contention. The hospital’s cross-claim was based upon the theory of common law indemnity. After Medical Products agreed to indemnify and defend the hospital, the hоspital did not move to amend its cross-claim to seek recovery because of a breach of implied or express contract to indemnify. If the pleadings had been amended, a summary judgment would still have been improper because, as discussed above, a question of fact concerning adequate representation remains. Carrousel Concessions.
Reversed and remanded for proceedings consistent herewith.
