Opinion ID: 1295414
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Sufficiency of Wick's disclosure

Text: Having concluded that the district court erred in how it viewed Wick's qualifications, the next step in the analysis is to consider Wick's qualification to give an expert opinion in support of Broehm's nursing malpractice theory. Although the Wick disclosure provides only a cursory recital of Wick's credentials, I agree with the majority that Wick's nursing experience and education provide a sufficient basis for her to be qualified to give an expert opinion about a nursing standard of care. Wick has worked as a nurse since 1984 and has attained a master's degree in nursing. Also, Wick's certification as a geriatric nurse and her current work in nephrology are not so narrow or nontransferable as to lead us to conclude that dressings, bandages, and skin integrity are treated dramatically different in those contexts. Nor does the record support such a conclusion. Admittedly, a possible shortcoming of the Wick disclosure lies in its description of causation, which fails to explicitly articulate that the lack of inspections resulted in Broehm's pressure necrosis. This shortcoming, however, is not fatal because there are other detailed statements related to causation that provide a sufficiently clear understanding of Wick's proposed explanation of causation. Although it may be inartfully drafted, the Wick disclosure does not contain the kinds of empty conclusions that may be used to mask a frivolous claim. Teffeteller v. Univ. of Minnesota, 645 N.W.2d 420, 428 (Minn.2002). My aforementioned conclusions reflect the general deference that should be given to plaintiffs on a motion to dismiss. Our court has stated as an incontestable proposition[ ] that in a motion to dismiss the facts alleged by complaint and affidavit are to be taken as true, and that the motion should not be granted unless the plaintiff fails to make out a prima facie case. Hardrives, Inc. v. City of LaCrosse, Wis., 307 Minn. 290, 296, 240 N.W.2d 814, 818 (1976) (citing Hunt v. Nev. State Bank, 285 Minn. 77, 172 N.W.2d 292 (1969)). We have also held that it is immaterial whether the plaintiff can prove the facts alleged in a complaint. Martens v. Minn. Mining & Mfg. Co., 616 N.W.2d 732, 739 (Minn.2000) (citing Royal Realty Co. v. Levin, 244 Minn. 288, 290, 69 N.W.2d 667, 670 (1955)). Even at a later stage in the proceeding, such as a motion for summary judgment, a court must take the evidence in a light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Fairview Hosp. v. St. Paul Fire & Marine, 535 N.W.2d 337, 341 (Minn.1995) (citing Murphy v. Country House, Inc., 307 Minn. 344, 351, 240 N.W.2d 507, 512 (1976)). In Sorenson, we recognized that section 145.682's sanction of abrupt termination with prejudice of potentially meritorious claims runs counter to our traditional preference for disposing of claims on their merits. 457 N.W.2d at 192. We have encouraged district courts to carefully evaluate the degree of prejudice to the defendant caused by the inadequate disclosures and suggested less drastic alternatives to procedural dismissal in cases where a plaintiff identifies experts and gives some meaningful disclosure of what that testimony will be. Id. at 193 (citing Dennie v. Metropolitan Med. Ctr., 387 N.W.2d 401, 406 (Minn.1986)). For these reasons, dismissal of Broehm's case on the grounds articulated by the district court does not further an interest in adjudicating claims on their merits. Therefore, for all of the reasons stated above, the district court's dismissal of Broehm's action for nursing malpractice on the ground that the Wick disclosure failed to meet the requirements of section 145.682 was an abuse of discretion.