IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE

NICOLE WILLEY, Individually, and as )

personal representative of the estate of )

MICHAEL WILLEY, and as parent and )

next friend of MARISSA WILLEY, a )

minor, )

 )

Plaintiffs, )

 )

v. ) C.A. NO.: N17C-11-185 AML

 )

GLASGOW INTERNAL MEDICINE ) JURY TRIAL OF 12 DEMANDED

ASSOCIATES, P.A., ANTHONY )

VASILE, D.O., CURT BLACKLOCK, )

D.O., CHRISTIANA CARE HEALTH )

SERVICES, INC., a Delaware )

Corporation, )

 )

Defendants. )

Submitted: February 1, 2018

Decided: February 16, 2018

ORDER

Upon Review of the Affidavit of Merit – Accepted 

On February 1, 2018, Defendant Vasile moved to have the Court review 

Plaintiffs’ affidavit of merit, in camera, to determine whether it complies with 18 

Del. C. § 6853(a)(1) and (c). Specifically, Defendant asks the Court to determine 

whether the affidavit of merit:

a) Is signed by an expert witness as defined in 18 Del. C. § 6853(c);

b) Is accompanied by a curriculum vitae for each expert;
2

c) States all its opinions with reasonable medical probability;

d) Includes an opinion that there has been healthcare medical negligence 

against each defendant;

e) States that the expert gives an opinion that each breach against each 

defendant was a proximate cause of injuries alleged in the complaint;

f) Includes a curriculum vitae that establishes that each expert is licensed to 

practice medicine as of the date of the affidavit;

g) Includes a curriculum vitae that establishes that each expert, for the three 

years preceding the negligent act, has been engaged in the treatment of 

patients and/or in the teaching/academic side of medicine in the same or 

similar field of medicine (pulmonology) as defendant;

h) Establishes that the expert is board certified in pulmonology.

In Delaware, a healthcare negligence lawsuit must be filed with an affidavit 

of merit, signed by an expert, and accompanied by the expert’s current curriculum 

vitae.

1

 The expert must be licensed to practice medicine as of the affidavit’s date 

and engaged in the same or similar field as the defendant in the three years 

immediately preceding the alleged negligence.2 The affidavit must state that 

reasonable grounds exist to believe the defendant was negligent in a way that 

 

1

Id. § 6853(a)(1).

2

Id. § 6853(c).
3

proximately caused the plaintiff’s injury.3 The statute’s requirements are minimal.

Accordingly, an affidavit of merit tracking the statutory language complies with the 

statute.4

After an in camera review, the Court finds the affidavit:

a) Is signed by an expert witness as defined in 18 Del. C. § 6853(c);

b) Is accompanied by a curriculum vitae for each expert;

c) States all its opinions with reasonable medical probability;

d) Includes an opinion that there has been healthcare medical negligence 

against each defendant;

e) Establishes that the expert gives an opinion that each breach against each 

defendant was a proximate cause of injuries alleged in the complaint;

f) Includes the expert’s curriculum vitae, which establishes that the expert was

licensed to practice medicine as of the date of the affidavit and in the three 

years preceding the negligent act was engaged in the treatment of patients 

and/or in the teaching/academic side of medicine in the same or similar field 

of medicine (pulmonology) as defendant;

g) Establishes that the expert is board certified in pulmonology.

 

3

Id.

4

See Dishmon v. Fucci, 32 A.3d 338, 342 (Del. 2011) (“In order to satisfy the prima facie burden, 

an Affidavit of Merit must only contain an expert’s sworn statement that medical negligence 

occurred, along with confirmation that he or she is qualified to proffer a medical opinion.”).
4

Considering the above, the Court finds that the affidavit of merit complies 

with 18 Del. C. § 6853(a) and (c) as to each Defendant.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

 /s/ Abigail M. LeGrow__

Abigail M. LeGrow, Judge

 

Original to Prothonotary

cc: Joshua Meyeroff, Esquire 

 Gregory S. McKee, Esquire

 Katherine J. Sullivan, Esquire

 Stephen J. Milewski, Esquire

 Timothy E. Lengkeek, Esquire