JUST VISITING: HEALTH CARE LIABILITY CLAIMS AND NONPATIENT INJURIES IN A HEALTH CARE SETTING BRANDON BECK* I. II. III.
INTRODUCTION .................................... ....... 484 A BRIEF HISTORY OF "HEALTH CARE LIABILITY CLAIM" AND THE EXPERT-REPORT REQUIREMENT ................... ..... 485 WHEN IS A PREMISES-LIABILITY CLAIM A HEALTH CARE LIABILITY CLAIM? GUIDANCE FROM THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT .................................................. 487
A. B. IV.
VI.
487 ..... 489
WHEN IS A PREMISES-LIABILITY CLAIM A HEALTH CARE LIABILITY CLAIM? MIXED MESSAGES FROM THE INTERMEDIATE APPELLATE COURTS ........... .............. 491
A. B. C. V.
The Gravamen Analysis ......................... Directly Related to Health Care? ..............
The Twilley Standard ................................... 492 The Ross Standard.. ............................. 494 The Impact of the Twilley and Ross Standards on the IntermediateAppellate Courts ................. ..... 494
WHEN THE SETTING REALLY MATTERS: THE HOSPITAL/NURSING HOME DISTINCTION ..................... WEAKNESSES AND ABSURDITIES WITHIN THE CURRENT APPROACH(ES) ..........................................
496
498 The Ross Standard'sInability to Answer for Absurd Results. 498 The Twilley Standard'sAmorphous Distinction.... ..... 499 TOWARD A UNIFIED APPROACH: RECOMMENDATIONS................. 501 A. A Second Look at the Definition ofHealth Care Liability Claim...................................... 501 B. Jettison the Hospital/NursingHome Distinction.... ..... 502 C. Double Down on the Gravamen Analysis ......... ......... 503 A. B.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
CONCLUSION POSTSCRIPT
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503 504
* Brandon Beck is a Research and Writing Specialist for the Federal Public Defender's Office. He previously practiced civil appellate law and served as lead counsel in Watson v. Good Shepherd before the Texarkana Court of Appeals in 2014. He received a B.A. in Classics from the University of Texas in 2004, a M.T.S. in Biblical and Historical Studies from Boston University in 2007, and a J.D. from Texas Tech University School of Law in 2012.
483