Case Name: Andrew C. SMITH, Plaintiff, v. AMERICAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC., Defendant-Appellee, v. HUMANA HOSPITAL CORPORATION, INC., Defendant-Appellant
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1990-04-04
Citations: 897 F.2d 794
Docket Number: No. 88-5527
Parties: Andrew C. SMITH, Plaintiff, v. AMERICAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC., Defendant-Appellee, v. HUMANA HOSPITAL CORPORATION, INC., Defendant-Appellant.
Judges: Before WILLIAMS and GARWOOD, Circuit Judges, and POLOZOLA, District Judge.
Reporter: Federal Reporter 2d Series
Volume: 897
Pages: 794–795

Head Matter:
Andrew C. SMITH, Plaintiff, v. AMERICAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC., Defendant-Appellee, v. HUMANA HOSPITAL CORPORATION, INC., Defendant-Appellant.
No. 88-5527.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.
April 4, 1990.
Richard Francis and Jerry A. Gibson, Plunkett, Gibson & Allen, San Antonio, Tex., for defendant-appellant.
John Milano, Jr., Thornton, Summers, Biechlin, Dunham & Brown, San Antonio, Tex., for defendant-appellee.
Before WILLIAMS and GARWOOD, Circuit Judges, and POLOZOLA, District Judge.
District Judge of the Middle District of Louisiana, sitting by designation.

Opinion:
FRANK J. POLOZOLA, District Judge:
In our original opinion, we certified the following question to the Texas Supreme Court:
Under Texas law, is a seller of a product entitled to indemnification from the manufacturer for attorney's fees incurred by seller during the litigation where the manufacturer settles the case with the plaintiff before a judicial determination of the liability of the parties is made?
In response to our certification, the Texas Supreme Court has ruled as follows:
In this cause, there has been no judicial finding that American Medical Systems was negligent or that the prosthesis was unreasonably dangerous. In other words, there has been no judicial determination — or admission — that American Medical Systems was, or could have been legally liable to Smith in any way. Unless and until there is such a determination, Humana Hospital's claim for indemnity is premature.
For the reasons stated previously, our answer to the certified question is "no".
Therefore, the opinion of the district court is AFFIRMED.
. Smith v. American Medical Systems, Inc., 876 F.2d 434 (5th Cir.1989).
. Humana Hospital Corp. v. American Medical Systems, Inc., 785 S.W.2d 144 (Texas 1990).
. Id. at 145.