In 2011, the Tennessee legislature amended the Health Care Liability Act (“HCLA”) to add language regarding governmental entities to the chapter. Per the amendments, health care liability action now specifically includes “claims against the state or a political subdivision thereof,” and health care provider includes…
As Tennessee courts continue to decide new Health Care Liability Act (“HCLA”) cases, nuances of the law are beginning to be parsed out for practitioners’ guidance. The Tennessee Supreme Court recently took up such a nuance, determining that pre-suit notice must be given before the…
A plaintiff filing a claim under the Tennessee Health Care Liability Act (HCLA) must prove certain elements, such as the recognized standard of practice, by expert testimony. Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-26-115(b) contains requirements for experts to qualify under the Act, including that the expert was licensed to practice in…
Yet another case about the Tennessee law requiring certificates of good faith in medical malpractice (now called health care liability) cases, this one with a twist. In Sirbaugh v. Vanderbilt Univ., d/b/a Vanderbilt Univ. Med. Ctr., No. M2014-00153-COA-R9-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. Dec. 30, 2014), plaintiff originally brought suit against two…
The 2015 Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals includes the new "Patient Safety Systems" chapter, a blueprint for leaders that uses existing standards to achieve an integrated approach to patient safety. Apparently, the Joint Commission believes so strongly in this approach that the chapter is being made available online to anyone…
While a plaintiff in a health care liability action must prove certain elements through an expert witness, that expert witness is not necessarily required to use “precise legal language.” A medical expert’s failure to use perfect terminology will not automatically result in a victory for defendant, as recently illustrated by…
The Tennessee Health Care Liability Act requires that health care professionals testifying as experts, in addition to other requirements, be licensed to practice in Tennessee or a bordering state. Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-26-115. In a recent decision, the Tennessee Supreme Court found that a…
As Tennessee Courts continue to grapple with what exactly constitutes substantial compliance when sending pre-suit notice of a healthcare liability action, a recent case provides hope that a reasoned approach may ultimately prevail – a HIPAA form sent with the pre-suit notice letter was found to substantially comply with the notice…
Not all claims brought against health care providers fall under the Tennessee Health Care Liability Act (THCLA), and a recent case from the Tennessee Court of Appeals gives crucial guidance on how to distinguish THCLA claims from ordinary, non-statutory tort claims. In Ellithorpe v.…
In Harper v. Bradley County, No. E2014-COA-R9-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. Oct. 30, 2014), the Tennessee Supreme Court clarified one aspect of the interplay between the Health Care Liability Act (“HCLA”) and the Governmental Tort Liability Act (“GTLA”). The Court held that under the current version of the HCLA, health care…