Opinion ID: 1602016
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: whether the trial court erred in refusing to allow plaintiffs' experts and participants in the operation to testify regarding wright's control over the operating room.

Text: ¶ 33. The plaintiffs assert that the trial judge erred in not allowing witnesses to state affirmatively that Wright was in control of the operating room. BCH and Wright contend that the conclusory statement plaintiffs wished to elicit from witnesses is a fact determination that falls within the province of the jury. Both the Fifth Circuit in Hunnicutt, 986 F.2d at 122-23, and this Court in Starcher v. Byrne, 687 So.2d 737, 742 (Miss.1997), recognized that physicians may not have control over every happening in the operating room. Wright did concede in his testimony that he was responsible for Tammy. Further, during cross-examination of operating room technician, Pam Smith, the plaintiffs' counsel elicited an affirmative response to several questions regarding whether or not she would have followed the doctor's orders in using the Blanketrol II unit. The trial judge also granted Instruction P-16, discussed above. Thus, plaintiffs' theory of the case in regard to Wright being responsible for the operating room, and thus vicariously responsible for any injury to Tammy that might have been caused by others in the operating room, was before the jury. We find that the issue of control is an issue of fact that should have been decided by the jury. Thus, trial judge did not err in precluding witnesses from providing a conclusion that lies more appropriately within the province of the jury.