Opinion ID: 1610267
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Waddail v. Roberts

Text: In Waddail v. Roberts , the plaintiff alleged that the defendant doctor, who was certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians, had breached the standard of care applicable to a doctor practicing emergency medicine, which required the doctor to stabilize a diabetic patient before the doctor transferred the patient to another facility. To prove medical negligence, the plaintiff offered expert testimony by a doctor who was certified by the American College of Emergency Medicine. The trial court granted the defendant's motion for a summary judgment; the plaintiff appealed the summary judgment to this Court; and this Court transferred the appeal to the Court of Civil Appeals pursuant to § 12-2-7(6), Ala.Code 1975. The Court of Civil Appeals acknowledged that the medical negligence alleged in this case would have occurred during the practice of emergency medicine. 827 So.2d at 788. Even though the defendant doctor was not board-certified in emergency medicine, the Court of Civil Appeals treated him as a specialist and applied § 6-5-548(c) to determine whether the proffered expert witness was similarly situated and therefore competent to testify under § 6-5-548(e). The Court of Civil Appeals conclude[d] that, because [the defendant doctor and the proffered witness] were certified by different boards, [the proffered witness could not] testify as to the standard of care to which [the defendant doctor] is to be held.... 827 So.2d at 788.