Court Opinion

ID: 9609598
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 03:29:00.333105+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:02:51.228616
License: Public Domain

Smith, Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent.
1.1 would find that the affidavit provided by Thurman was insufficient because it failed to provide “the factual basis” for Thurman’s claim, as required by OCGA § 9-11-9.1. The affiant nurse acknowledges that she reviewed no medical records, but instead relied upon “my understanding gained from information given to Attorney Deborah Green by Mr. Thurman’s family.” “The affiant may review the medical records, take the relevant facts therein to be true, and restate those facts in the affidavit to provide the basis for the expert opinion.” (Emphasis supplied.) Ulbrich v. Batts, 206 Ga. App. 74, 75 (424 SE2d 288) (1992). An expert also may state his opinion based upon facts alleged in the complaint, concluding that such facts, if true, would constitute professional malpractice. Id. The complaint here, however, alleges no facts upon which the affiant could have based an opinion; it simply states that defendant failed to meet the required standard of care and refers to the affidavit. Double hearsay which appears nowhere in the record, provided by family members through the medium of the plaintiffs’ attorney, is insufficient to provide a factual basis for an affidavit under OCGA § 9-11-9.1.
2. The Bill of Rights for Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities, OCGA § 31-8-100 et seq., does not negate the professional malpractice affidavit requirements of OCGA § 9-11-9.1. It is intended to provide a cause of action for negligence or breach of duty on the part of long-term care facilities not rising to the level of professional mal*770practice. Assoc. Health Systems v. Jones, 185 Ga. App. 798 (366 SE2d 147) (1988), cited by the majority, involves not medical malpractice but negligent failure to restrain an aggressive resident. In contrast, Thurman relies upon allegations of professional malpractice, for which she must provide an affidavit conforming to the statute.
Decided March 16, 1994
Reconsideration denied April 1, 1994
Deborah L. Green, for appellants.
Joe B. Sartain, Jr., Ray L. Crowell, for appellee.
For these reasons, I would affirm the trial court’s dismissal of the complaint.
I am authorized to state that Presiding Judge Birdsong, Judge Andrews and Judge Johnson join in this dissent.