Opinion ID: 500742
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Rebuttable Presumption

Text: 36 Federal Rule of Evidence 302 provides that state law determines presumptions when state law provides the rule of decision. Plaintiffs contend that the district court erred in failing to give them the benefit of the rebuttable presumption of defendant's negligence available in Tenn.Code Ann. Sec. 29-26-115(c) when the instrumentality is in the exclusive control of the defendant and the injury ordinarily does not occur in the absence of negligence. The presumption codified in Sec. 29-26-115(c) is the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur. This doctrine is not ordinarily applicable to medical malpractice cases. German v. Nichopoulos, 577 S.W.2d 197 (Tenn.Ct.App.1978). This is true because neither lay people nor Courts possess reliable common knowledge in such technical matters. Therefore, expert testimony regarding the standard of care or duty in order to show negligence is required. Id. at 202. Here, the proper procedure to use in injecting Teflon is clearly not within common knowledge of a lay person and res ipsa loquitur does not apply. See Perkins v. Park View Hosp., 61 Tenn.App. 458, 456 S.W.2d 276 (1970). Furthermore, there was no proof at trial that the injury would not have occurred in the absence of negligence. Even when all due care is exercised, this injury could still occur. See Johnson v. Lawrence, 720 S.W.2d 50, 56 (Tenn.Ct.App.1986) (failure of plaintiff to show that stroke ordinarily does not occur in absence of negligence precluded plaintiff's reliance on statutory presumption of negligence). 37 Moreover, the doctrine is not applied when evidence is offered by plaintiff of specific acts of negligence. Hughes v. Hastings, 225 Tenn. 386, 469 S.W.2d 378 (1971). In the present case, plaintiffs presented extensive evidence on the issue of negligence of Dr. Ruleman. Therefore, it is clear that this case is not appropriate for the application of the presumption found in Sec. 29-26-115(c). 38 For the foregoing reasons, we AFFIRM the district court's judgment for defendant based on the plaintiffs' failure to carry their burden of proof regarding the defendant's breach of the standard of care.