Court Opinion

ID: 9656011
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 19:30:54.268631+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:13:26.543100
License: Public Domain

TODD, Justice
(concurring specially).
I concur in the majority opinion but would change the Lange standards as applied to professional associations. Once the time and place standards of Lange are met, I would then hold that in the case of professional associations a different standard should be applied in determining scope of employment and in allocating the burden of proof. I would instruct the jury that because of the personal and confidential relationship that exists between the members or employees of the association and the patient or client of the professional association, any transgressions are the responsibility of the association. Any violation of the ethics of the particular profession should be the responsibility of the entity offering the services. A person seeking the services of the professional association should not be denied recovery for injuries caused by transgressions that occur at the professional office on the grounds that the particular act of the individual member or employee violates the code of ethics of the particular profession. The patient or client has no responsibility to regulate the ethical conduct of the person rendering services. Also, in many cases, the very nature of the services being rendered diminish the capacity of the patient or client to protect themselves from the transgressions as they may occur.
On remand I would direct the trial court to instruct the jury in accordance with the standards set forth herein.