Court Opinion

ID: 9395313
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-05-17 18:04:58.848497+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:19:07.266818
License: Public Domain

STATE OF LOUISIANA
            COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

JENNIE           WALSH                                                                            NO.     2022    CW       1262

VERSUS

LANDMARK           OF    BATON          ROUGE,
LLC,    DR.        WILLIAM          PATRICK
GAHAN,           AND    CORINNE          K.                                                             MAY     17,     2023
ROULEAU

In    Re:              Dr.     William            Gahan,             applying          for        supervisory              writs,

                       19th        Judicial           District              Court,          Parish        of    East        Baton
                       Rouge,       No.       700506.

BEFORE:               MCCLENDON,              HOLDRIDGE,             AND     GREENE,         JJ.

        WRIT            GRANTED.               The         trial            court'     s      September           26,        2022
judgment,                          denied         the      Motion           for                     Judgment
                       which
                                                                                    Summary                           filed by
defendant,               Dr.        William             Patrick             Gahan,           is        reversed.            After

conducting              a cle      novo reg lew,               we     find        that      Dr.    Gahan       has     met     his
burden           of     pointing              out     to       the      court          the        absence       of      factual
support           for        one    or        more    elements              essential             to     the    plaintiffs'

medical               malpractice                claims,               as      plaintiffs,                Jennie            Walsh
 ndividUally  and  on  behalf  of_ her  deceased mother,   Genevieve
Brister, have   failed  to  produce   expert  medical testimony   in
support           of     them           claims.            S    e    La.     R. S.         9: 2794;      Samaha       v.     Rau,

2007- 1. 726 (          La.     2/ 26/ 08)       1-
                                                      977       So. 2d       880.      We     further          find     this      is
not     a         case        of        obvious         negligence                 that        requires          no        expert

testimony              to     demonstrate               the         physician' s            fault,        and     Dr.       Gahan
has     not        testified              as     to     the         standard           of     care       and    his        breach
thereof. ,             See     e. g.      Pfiffner             v.     Correa,          94- 0924 (        La.     10/ 17/     94),
643     So. 2d          1228,           1233- 34.           Therefore,               we      find       that     plaintiffs

will        be    unable           to    satisfy         their          evidentiary burden of proof                               at

trial.           Accordingly,                 the     Motion           for ,Summary Judgment filed                                by
defendant,              Dr.     William          Patrick             Gahan.,      is    granted,          and    the       claims
of     plaintiffs,                 Jenn4ie       Walsh          indiv;ldually               and     on    behalf        of     her
deceased               mother,           Genevieve                  Brister,           against           defendant,            Dr.
William           Patrick          Gahan,       are     dismissed with prejudice.

                                                                       PMC
                                                                        GH

                                                                        HG

COURT       OF    APPEAL,           FIRST       CIRCUIT

       DPU             CLERK        OF    COURT
                 FOR     THE       COURT