Appeals
COA: If It Doesn’t Change Your Mind . . .
On May 3, 2018 the Michigan Court of Appeals issued its opinion in the matter of Teri Luten v Genesys Regional Medical Center, et al., one which may provide some ammunition to Defendants in attacking Plaintiff proximate causation theories, especially in cases involving “chain of command.” In a 2-1 decision, the panel reversed the trial court’s denial of the Defendant’s Motion for Summary
2018 Michigan Non-Economic Damages Caps
Since 1993, Michigan has placed a limitation on the total amount of damages for non-economic loss that are recoverable in a medical malpractice action. The current limitation is enacted by statute in MCL § 600.1483. “Non-economic loss” is defined under the statute to mean damages or loss due to pain, suffering, inconvenience, physical impairment, physical disfigurement, loss of society an
Beating the School Bell: Supreme Court Adopts Lenient Tardy Policy for NOIs.
If a Notice of Intent (“NOI”) is served on the final day of the statute of limitations period when only a fraction of a day remains, is that fractional day tolled and preserved for statute of limitations purposes? The Michigan Supreme Court addressed this question in its June 27, 2017 Opinion in Haksluoto v. Mt Clemens Regional Medical Center. Conjuring images of a teacher in a one-room school
Greer: A Pain in the Rear(view)
Greer v Advantage Health has been a drama three years in the making. There’ve been highs, lows, and perhaps a few tears. But, all that is behind us now! Mostly…On January 6, 2017, Governor Rick Snyder signed Senate Bill 1104, which remedies the problem created in Greer by ensuring that plaintiffs are awarded fair compensation for medical expenses actually incurred rather than windfall recov
FBMJ Attorneys Co-Author Article for The Litigation Journal on the History & Development of Woodard v. Custer
FBMJ attorneys Anthony Pignotti and Mitchell Jackson co-authored “The 10th Anniversary of Woodard v. Custer: Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going” published in the Summer 2016 issue of The Litigation Journal. The article focused on issues surrounding standard of care qualification requirements set forth for expert witnesses in medical malpractice cases in MCL § 600.2169, 10 years after
Practitioners Beware: Loose Lips Should Be Zipped!
A split panel of the Michigan Court of Appeals held that improper disclosure of a diagnosis to the patient’s wife constituted ordinary negligence. (William Brandon v. Denise L. Handelsman, D.O. 2/23/16-Unpublished) While unpublished decisions are only binding on the case in which it was decided and have no precedential value in other cases, the majority opinion is noteworthy as it provides some
FBMJ Successful in Appeal for Reversal of Denied Motion for Summary Disposition
FBMJ attorneys Judith Sherman and Carole Empey recently returned a victory for client Oakwood Healthcare at the Michigan Court of Appeals (COA) in Janice Brown vs. Oakwood Healthcare Inc. The central issue on appeal was whether the Trial Court erred in denying Oakwood’s motion for summary disposition because it was not liable for the alleged negligence of defendant Dr. Sham Gupta under a theory