Opinion ID: 4015729
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Remedy by way of a writ is available.

Text: The first question is whether the hospital has established that remedy by way of an extraordinary writ is even available to it. Id. Under this approach, there are essentially two classes of writs, one addressing claims that the lower court is proceeding without subject matter jurisdiction and one addressing claims of mere legal error. Id. at 158. The hospital has not made a claim under the first class, and thus we address only the second. Under the second class, a writ may be granted—that is, the remedy is available—if there exists no adequate remedy by appeal or otherwise and great injustice and irreparable injury will result if the petition is not granted. Hoskins v. Maricle, 150 S.W.3d 1, 10 (Ky. 2004). Of the two prerequisites for this class of writ, the first is mandatory, and thus the hospital is required to prove that it has no adequate remedy by appeal. Marcum v. Scorsone, 457 S.W.3d 710, 716 (Ky. 2015). The second prerequisite, however, is more flexible. Though it usually requires proof of something of a ruinous nature, it may be put aside in 'certain special cases. Grange Mut. Ins. Co. v. Trude, 151 S.W.3d 803, 808 (Ky. 2004) (quoting Bender v. Eaton, 343 S.W.2d 799, 801 (Ky. 1961)). That limited sub-class of cases consists of those in which a substantial miscarriage of justice will result if the lower court is proceeding erroneously, and correction of the error is necessary and appropriate in the interest of orderly judicial administration. Id. (quoting Bender, 343 S.W.3d at 801). This includes those in which a privilege will be breached. Id. Indeed, this court has held that an alleged violation of a privilege satisfies both writ prerequisites—that of no adequate remedy by appeal, 'because 10 privileged information cannot be recalled once it has been disclosed,' and the substitute requirement in 'special cases' that the administration of justice would suffer. Collins, 384 S.W.3d at 158. For that reason, remedy by a writ of prohibition is available to a petitioner claiming the potential violation of a privilege. Id. This obviously extends to the claimed attorney-client privilege. Id. Though the work-product doctrine does not provide an absolute privilege, a breach of its protection has also been held to satisfy both elements of the special-cases writ test. O'Connell v. Cowan, 332 S.W.3d 34, 39 (Ky. 2010). But availability of the remedy is not the end of our inquiry. We must still look at whether the petitioner, here the hospital, is entitled to the writ, which requires an examination of the merits of the claim of legal error. Here, we must examine whether the hospital has established that the lower court has improperly ordered a disclosure that would violate a privilege. Id.