Alabama High Court Denies Immunity for Hospital, Upholds $3.2M Verdict

The Alabama Supreme Court has upheld a jury’s $3.2 million medical malpractice judgment involving a Montgomery hospital. The court ruled on Feb. 28 that the university-affiliated Health Care Authority for Baptist Health that ran the hospital did not qualify for the legal immunity granted to state entities. The court in a 6-3 decision rejected the hospital’s request for rehearing. The case dates back to 2005 when a 73-year-old woman was treated in the emergency room of Baptist Medical Center East. She tested positive for a dangerous drug-resistant bacteria, but the results were not communicated to her treating physician. She later died.