Opinion ID: 894997
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Dismissal or Amendment?

Text: Finally, the plaintiffs argue that if mandamus relief is granted, they are still entitled to seek an additional 30-day “grace period” from the trial court to amend their expert reports. Under the facts and statute at issue here, that option is not available. Unlike the current statute, the statute applicable before 2003 allowed a grace period to correct inadequate reports only if the inadequacy was the result of an accident or mistake: Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, if a claimant has failed to comply with a deadline established by Subsection (d) of this section and after hearing the court finds that the failure of the claimant or the claimant’s attorney was not intentional or the result of conscious indifference but was the result of an accident or mistake, the court shall grant a grace period of 30 days to permit the claimant to comply with that subsection. [ 55] In a motion filed the morning of the hearing on their reports, the plaintiffs requested such an extension for two reasons. First, they sought an additional 30 days to get the medical records of 11 plaintiffs, none of whom remain in the case. And as negligent credentialing caused harm to the plaintiffs only if Dr. Bracamontes’s privileges should have been revoked before they were treated, their own medical records could not establish that claim. Second, the plaintiffs alleged that any inadequacies in their reports were the result of accident or mistake rather than conscious indifference. In Walker v. Gutierrez , we held that a report that completely omitted one of the elements required by statute could not be an accident or mistake because “a party who files suit on claims subject to article 4590i is charged with knowledge of the statute and its requirements.” [56] Here, the plaintiffs’ attorneys are charged with knowledge that they needed an expert in hospital credentialing, and with the qualifications (or lack thereof) of Dr. Brown. Her curriculum vitae showed she was a solo family practitioner, and revealed neither experience in hospital administration nor even staff privileges at any hospital. At the hearing on the hospital’s motion to dismiss, the trial court admitted deposition testimony by Dr. Brown that she had not had staff privileges at any hospital for several years. On this record, the trial court would have no discretion to conclude that the plaintiffs thought Dr. Brown was qualified due to an accident or mistake.    Because the trial court abused its discretion in failing to grant the hospital’s motion to dismiss, we conditionally grant the writ of mandamus and order the trial court to vacate its order and enter a new order dismissing the plaintiffs’ claims against the hospital. We are confident the trial court will comply, and our writ will issue only if it does not. ___________________________________ Scott Brister