Opinion ID: 1680125
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Whether Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment Was Properly Granted as to the Entirety of Plaintiff's Complaint.

Text: ¶ 13. In paragraph five of her complaint, McMichael asserted that the defendant failed to inform the Plaintiff of the care rendered to her by him, failed to perform the services which he agreed to perform, was negligent in the services and care rendered to the Plaintiff and as a result thereof departed from the standard of care in his examination and treatment of the Plaintiff. The trial court's opinion regarding summary judgment stated that the plaintiff raised two claims in her complaint  medical negligence and informed consent. McMichael contends that the trial court erred in granting summary judgment as to the entire complaint because the trial court only addressed two of her three claims. McMichael asserts that her allegation in her complaint that defendant failed to perform the services which he agreed to perform does not require expert medical testimony and was not addressed in the trial court's opinion. ¶ 14. McMichael's claims that Dr. Howell only performed a partial facial as opposed to a full facial. McMichael asserts that this claim is more of a breach of contract claim than a medical malpractice claim. However, throughout her brief, McMichael cites cases dealing with medical malpractice and states that if Defendant claims that he had no choice but to perform this partial facial since Plaintiff's skin was too skin [sic], then a question of fact is presented as to whether Defendant should have not performed any surgery rather than an incomplete surgery which discolored Plaintiff, or whether Defendant should have made that determination before proceeding with the second surgery. McMichael's argument to support her breach of contract claim is nothing more than medical malpractice. Furthermore, McMichael cites Sheffield v. Goodwin, 740 So.2d 854, 857 (Miss.1999), for the proposition that in certain instances a layman asked to evaluate a physician's negligence can observe and understand the negligence as a matter of common sense and practical experience and no expert medical testimony is required. This claim that Dr. Howell failed to perform the full facial, which was agreed upon, and whether he should not have performed any surgery at all is a claim for medical negligence and not `breach of contract' as McMichael now asserts in her brief. ¶ 15. During McMichael's deposition, she testified that she expected Dr. Howell to end the procedure, wake her up from anesthesia, and inform her that if he performed the full facial she would receive third-degree burns. McMichael never offered expert testimony that this was the correct standard of care or whether Dr. Howell should have checked her skin before the surgery to determine whether he could perform a full facial. This is a medical malpractice claim, and expert testimony is needed to establish that Dr. Howell failed to use ordinary skill and care. This Court has stated that where the matter at issue is not within the scope of a layperson's common knowledge negligence can be proven in a medical malpractice action only where the plaintiff presents medical testimony establishing that the defendant physician failed to use ordinary skill and care. Powell v. Methodist Health Care-Jackson Hosps., 876 So.2d 347, 348 (Miss. 2004) (emphasis added & citations omitted). The questions of whether Dr. Howell should have performed this medical procedure and what Dr. Howell knew or should have known prior to making the decision to perform the full facial are not matters of common sense and require medical testimony. Furthermore, a plaintiff claiming medical malpractice must show that there is a casual connection between the injury and the defendant's conduct or acts, and this requires expert medical testimony. Palmer, 564 So.2d at 1355. ¶ 16. Therefore, the trial court was correct in granting summary judgment as to McMichael's entire complaint because she did not produce expert medical testimony which is required for medical malpractice. McMichael clearly asserts medical malpractice in her complaint and not `breach of contract.' The trial court's opinion discussed all claims raised by McMichael but categorized them into either informed consent or medical malpractice. The complaint clearly asserted that Dr. Howell departed from the standard of care when he failed to perform the services agreed upon. Medical testimony is required to support all of McMichael's claims, and summary judgment, as to all claims, in favor of Dr. Howell was proper.