Case Name: CENTRAL FLORIDA REGIONAL HOSPITAL, INC., Petitioner, v. Paul WAGER, et al., Respondents; David C. MOWERE, etc., et al., Petitioners, v. Paul WAGER, et al., Respondents
Court: Florida Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1996-04-11
Citations: 672 So. 2d 34
Docket Number: Nos. 86178, 86201
Parties: CENTRAL FLORIDA REGIONAL HOSPITAL, INC., Petitioner, v. Paul WAGER, et al., Respondents. David C. MOWERE, etc., et al., Petitioners, v. Paul WAGER, et al., Respondents.
Judges: GRIMES, C.J., and OVERTON, SHAW, KOGAN, HARDING, WELLS and ANSTEAD, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 672
Pages: 34–35

Head Matter:
CENTRAL FLORIDA REGIONAL HOSPITAL, INC., Petitioner, v. Paul WAGER, et al., Respondents. David C. MOWERE, etc., et al., Petitioners, v. Paul WAGER, et al., Respondents.
Nos. 86178, 86201.
Supreme Court of Florida.
April 11, 1996.
Michael C. Mattson and Pamela R. Kittrell of Cooney, Haliczer, Mattson, Lance, Blackburn, Pettis & Richards, PA., Fort Lauder-dale, on behalf of Central Florida Regional Hospital, Inc., d/b/a Central Florida Regional Hospital; and Hector A. More and Gregory A. Fencik of Taraska, Grower & Ketcham, P.A., Orlando, on behalf of David C. Mowere, M.D., David C. Mowere, M.D., P.A., Mid-Florida OB-GYN Specialist and Phillips, Ra-velo & Mowere, M.D., P.A., for Petitioners.
Nolan Carter of the Law Offices of Nolan Carter, P.A., Orlando, on behalf of Paul Wager and Wendy Wager, as Personal Representatives of the Estate of Henry Paul Wager, III, a deceased minor, for Respondents.
Bruce Culpepper and William E. Whitney of Pennington & Haben, P.A., Tallahassee, for Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association, Amicus Curiae.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
We have for review a decision of the Fifth District passing upon the following question certified to be of great public importance:
DOES AN ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING OFFICER HAVE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION TO DETERMINE WHETHER AN INJURY SUFFERED BY A NEWBORN INFANT DOES OR DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A "BIRTH-RELATED NEUROLOGICAL INJURY' WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE FLORIDA BIRTH-RELATED NEUROLOGICAL INJURY COMPENSATION PLAN, SECTIONS 766.301-.316, FLORIDA STATUTES (1993), SO THAT A CIRCUIT COURT IN A MEDICAL MALPRACTICE ACTION SPECIFICALLY ALLEGING AN INJURY OUTSIDE THE COVERAGE OF THE PLAN MUST AUTOMATICALLY ABATE THAT ACTION WHEN THE PLAN'S IMMUNITY IS RAISED AS AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE PENDING A DETERMINATION BY THE HEARING OFFICER AS TO THE EXACT NATURE OF THE INFANT'S INJURY?
See Central Florida Regional Hospital, Inc. v. Wager, 656 So.2d 491, 493-94 (Fla. 5th DCA 1995). We have jurisdiction. Art. V, § 3(b)(4), Fla. Const. Since we have already answered the identical question in the negative in Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Ass'n v. McKaughan, 668 So.2d 974 (Fla.1996), the district court decision is approved.
It is so ordered.
GRIMES, C.J., and OVERTON, SHAW, KOGAN, HARDING, WELLS and ANSTEAD, JJ., concur.