Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-04-02665/USCOURTS-ca8-04-02665-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 362
Nature of Suit: Medical Malpractice
Cause of Action: 

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1

The Honorable Donald J. Stohr, United States District Judge for the Eastern

District of Missouri.

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 04-2665

___________

Richard Allen Williams, * 

* 

Appellant, * 

* Appeal from the United States

v. * District Court for the

* Eastern District of Missouri.

National Medical Services, Inc.; *

Kevin Ballard, *

*

Appellees. *

___________

Submitted: February 18, 2005

Filed: March 16, 2005 

___________

Before WOLLMAN, HANSEN, and BENTON, Circuit Judges.

___________

BENTON, Circuit Judge. 

Richard Allen Williams appeals the district court's1

 dismissal of his negligence

action against National Medical Services, Inc. ("NMS") and its employee Kevin D.

Ballard, M.D., Ph.D. Jurisdiction being proper under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, this court

affirms.

Appellate Case: 04-2665 Page: 1 Date Filed: 03/16/2005 Entry ID: 1879351 
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While a nurse at the Veterans Hospital in Columbia, Missouri, Williams was

the subject of a criminal investigation into the death of several patients. The

prosecutor retained NMS and Ballard to test tissue samples from 10 patients in order

to determine the cause of death. Relying on Ballard's initial report, the prosecutor

charged Williams with 10 counts of murder in the first degree. NMS and Ballard

wrote the prosecutor — over a year later, but before trial — that the report was

unreliable. Cleared on all charges and released from custody, Williams now sues

NMS and Ballard for negligence.

This court reviews de novo a district court's decision to dismiss a cause of

action for failure to state a claim. Carter v. Arkansas, 392 F.3d 965, 968 (8th Cir.

2004). Williams alleges that NMS and Ballard breached their duty of care by

negligently testing and wrongfully concluding the patients were homicide victims.

The district court dismissed the complaint for failure to state a claim, because, under

Missouri law, NMS and Ballard — as expert witnesses — owed him no duty of care.

 In diversity cases applying Missouri law, this court is bound by the decisions

of the Supreme Court of Missouri. Rucci v. City of Pacific, 327 F.3d 651, 652 (8th

Cir. 2003), citing Cassello v. Allegiant Bank, 288 F.3d 339, 340 (8th Cir. 2002). 

In Murphy v. A. A. Mathews, 841 S.W.2d 671 (Mo. banc 1992), the Supreme

Court of Missouri permitted a cause of action against a party's own expert witness for

negligently performing litigation support services — as an exception to the general

rule of witness immunity. The court held that because the expert agreed to provide

professional services to a party for a fee, it assumed the duty of care of a skillful

professional. See Murphy, 841 S.W.2d at 682. This decision rested "primarily upon

the commercial relationship assumed by the professional and his or her role as an

advocate." Id.

Appellate Case: 04-2665 Page: 2 Date Filed: 03/16/2005 Entry ID: 1879351 
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Williams requests expansion of this exception to permit a cause of action

against an expert witness for an adverse party. Although no Missouri court has

decided this precise issue, this court may consider relevant dicta that predict how the

Supreme Court of Missouri would rule. See W. Forms, Inc. v. Pickell, 308 F.3d 930,

933 (8th Cir. 2002), quoting Bass v. Gen. Motors Corp., 150 F.3d 842, 846-47 (8th

Cir. 1998). In Murphy, the court stated: 

Our holding would not subject adverse expert witnesses to malpractice

liability because in that situation, the expert owes no professional duty

to the adversary.

Murphy, 841 S.W.2d at 682 n.11. 

Accordingly, the Supreme Court of Missouri would find that NMS and Ballard

owed no duty of care to Williams, an adverse party. The district court properly

dismissed his cause of action. The judgment is affirmed.

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Appellate Case: 04-2665 Page: 3 Date Filed: 03/16/2005 Entry ID: 1879351