Opinion ID: 2572527
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Application of Governmental Claims Act

Text: [¶ 10] It is claimed our opinion does not give effect to the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act. The applicable portions of the Act are set out below: § 1-39-102. Purpose. (a) The Wyoming legislature recognizes the inherently unfair and inequitable results which occur in the strict application of the doctrine of governmental immunity and is cognizant of the Wyoming Supreme Court decision of Oroz v. Board of County Commissioners, 575 P.2d 1155 (1978). It is further recognized that the state and its political subdivisions as trustees of public revenues are constituted to serve the inhabitants of the state of Wyoming and furnish certain services not available through private parties and, in the case of the state, state revenues may only be expended upon legislative appropriation. This act is adopted by the legislature to balance the respective equities between persons injured by governmental actions and the taxpayers of the state of Wyoming whose revenues are utilized by governmental entities on behalf of those taxpayers. This act is intended to retain any common law defenses which a defendant may have by virtue of decisions from this or other jurisdictions. (b) In the case of the state, this act abolishes all judicially created categories such as governmental or proprietary functions and discretionary or ministerial acts previously used by the courts to determine immunity or liability. This act does not impose nor allow the imposition of strict liability for acts of governmental entities or public employees. Of course, governmental entities such as JCHC and employees of governmental entities such as Nurses Sather and Blakely are immune from tort liability except as provided in the Act. Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-39-104 (LexisNexis 2003). [¶ 11] Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-39-109 (LexisNexis 2003) provides: § 1-39-109. Liability; medical facilities. A governmental entity is liable for damages resulting from bodily injury, wrongful death or property damage caused by the negligence of public employees while acting within the scope of their duties in the operation of any public hospital or in providing public outpatient health care. [¶ 12] Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-39-110 (Lexis-Nexis 2003) provides: § 1-39-110. Liability; health care providers. (a) A governmental entity is liable for damages resulting from bodily injury, wrongful death or property damage caused by the negligence of health care providers who are employees of the governmental entity, including contract physicians who are providing a service for state institutions, while acting within the scope of their duties. (b) Notwithstanding W.S. 1-39-118(a), for claims under this section against a physician employed by the state of Wyoming based upon an act, error or omission occurring on or after May 1, 1988, the liability of the state shall not exceed the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) to any claimant for any number of claims arising out of a single transaction or occurrence nor exceed the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) for all claims of all claimants arising out of a single transaction or occurrence. [¶ 13] We will address the issue only briefly. The contention is founded on the presumption that we are adopting a remedy that permits recovery where a less than fifty percent chance of avoiding death is lost. It is readily evident that that is not the case, both from our original opinion, and from the additional materials cited herein. The negligent act(s) must be a substantial cause (more likely than not) of the lost chance to survive. The damages to be awarded must be apportioned as more fully set out above. We conclude that McMackin's claims are within the protection afforded by the Governmental Claims Act.