Alabama Court Ruling Sparks Outcry from Attorneys

An Alabama Supreme Court ruling that protected a hospital from paying a judgment in a patient’s death has sparked an outcry from attorneys.

The Tuscaloosa News reports on Sunday that about 100 attorneys have asked the court to reconsider its January ruling that found the hospital was immune from lawsuits because it was managed by the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Health System.

The court’s Jan. 14 ruling vacated a $3.2 million Montgomery County verdict which found in favor of the family of Lauree Durden Ellison, who died in 2005 during a stay at Baptist Medical Center East.

They say the ruling could have widespread effects, including changing the workers’ compensation status of thousands of employees.

Attorney Mark White said the decision “goes where no one has gone before.”