Opinion ID: 1669438
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Did the trial court err in allowing the testimony of orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Hans-Jorg Trnka?

Text: ¶ 42. Unless an abuse of discretion is evident, a trial judge's determination on the qualification of an expert will not be disturbed on appeal. Palmer v. Biloxi Reg'l Med. Ctr., Inc., 564 So.2d 1346, 1357 (Miss.1990). ¶ 43. Dr. Blake and JBJC argue that Miss.Code Ann. § 11-1-61 (Rev.2002) controls with respect to who may qualify as a witness in a medical malpractice action. According to Miss.Code Ann. § 11-1-61: In any action for injury or death against a physician, whether in contract or in tort, arising out of the provision of or failure to provide health care services, a person may qualify as an expert witness on the issue of the appropriate medical standard of care if the witness is licensed in this state, or some other state, as a doctor of medicine. Defendants argue that § 11-1-61 precludes expert medical testimony by a physician not licensed within the United States. We disagree. This statute is one of inclusion rather than exclusion. Just because the statute reads that a person may qualify as an expert if licensed in this or another state, does not mean that one may only qualify as an expert if licensed in the United States. We find that this evidentiary statute does not conflict with the Mississippi Rules of Evidence, which govern evidentiary matters, including the qualification of expert witnesses. ¶ 44. The Mississippi Rules of Evidence govern who may qualify to testify as an expert. Mississippi Rule of Evidence 702, states in pertinent part, that a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training or education, may testify thereto in the form of an opinion or otherwise. . . . After examining these factors, this Court concludes that Dr. Trnka was not qualified to testify as to the standard of care in August of 1995 involved in the case sub judice and the judge abused her discretion when allowing him to testify. However, this holding does not disqualify all doctors who are licensed and practice outside the United States. The decision should be on a case-by-case basis. ¶ 45. Although Dr. Trnka stated that he was familiar with the standard of care in the U.S. in 1995, the trial testimony reveals that in August of 1995, he was still in his residency in Austria and had not completed his own orthopedic training. Furthermore, he did not become a practicing orthopedic surgeon until after Dr. Blake had performed the surgery on Clein. Therefore, he testified about a standard of care in the U.S. at a time when he was not a licensed orthopedic surgeon in either Austria or the U.S. ¶ 46. Dr. Trnka completed all of his medical school training in Austria. He did not attend medical school in the United States. He had not taught in the United States. The only medical articles or treatises he claimed authorship of are unrelated. He has never been qualified as an expert in an American court. Significantly, the only records he reviewed to form an opinion were those of Dr. Blake. He is not licensed in the U.S. or any state in the U.S. Furthermore, he is not board certified by any medical board within the U.S. and has never practiced medicine anywhere in the U.S. His only experience in the U.S. was obtained by an observership in 1990 at John Hopkins on knee arthroplasties, which is not an issue in this case, and a Foot and Ankle traveling observership. ¶ 47. Dr. Trnka's knowledge, skill, experience, training and education were insufficient to qualify him to testify as an expert medical witness regarding the standard of care for a period of time which preceded his acquisition of the knowledge, skill, and experience necessary to qualify him. Therefore, it was an abuse of discretion to allow Dr. Trnka to testify.