New Health Care Liability Action Opinion: Dismissal of Pro Se Plaintiff's Claims by Trial Court Upheld on Appeal in Part

The Tennessee Court of Appeals issued its opinion in Lacy v. Saint Thomas Hospital West, No. M2016-01272-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. May 4, 2017).  The syllabus from the opinion states as follows:

Appellant brought a pro se action against several medical providers for injuries sustained when she was allegedly beaten during medical procedures. The trial court dismissed the complaint, under Tennessee Rule of Civil Procedure 12.02, for failure to comply with the procedural requirements of the Tennessee Health Care Liability Act (THCLA). On appeal, Appellant contends that she was not obligated to comply with the THCLA’s procedural requirements because her claim was based in tort and did not assert a health care liability claim. After reviewing the complaint, we conclude that it asserts several distinct claims, some of which are health care liability claims and some are not. We, therefore, affirm the trial court’s dismissal of the health care liability claims, but reverse the trial court’s grant of Appellees’ motions to dismiss the non-health care liability claims. 

Here is a link to the slip opinion:

http://www.tncourts.gov/sites/default/files/lacy.deborahv.saintthomas.opn_.pdf