The opinion
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF NORTH CAROLINA
No.425A18
Filed 6 December 2019
HAMLET H.M.A., LLC D/B/A SANDHILLS REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
v.
PEDRO HERNANDEZ, M.D.
Appeal pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 7A-30(2) from the decision of a divided panel of
the Court of Appeals, 821 S.E.2d 600 (2018), affirming in part the judgment entered
on 9 January 2017 by Judge Richard T. Brown in Superior Court, Richmond County,
and reversing and remanding the granting of a directed verdict as to defendant’s
unfair and deceptive trade practices counterclaim. Heard in the Supreme Court on
30 September 2019 in session in the J. Newton Cohen, Sr. Rowan County
Administration Building in the City of Salisbury pursuant to section 18B.8 of Session
Law 2017-57.
Freeman & Freeman, LLC, by William S. F. Freeman, for plaintiff.
Law Office of Mark L. Hayes, by Mark L. Hayes, for defendant.
Linwood Jones, for N.C. Healthcare Association, amicus curiae.
Josh Stein, Attorney General, by Ryan Y. Park, Deputy Solicitor General; K. D.
Sturgis and Daniel Paul Mosteller, Special Deputy Attorneys General; and
Laura H. McHenry, Assistant Attorney General; for State of North Carolina,
amicus curiae.
Winslow Wetsch, PLLC, by Laura J. Wetsch; and Higgins Benjamin, by
Jonathan Wall; for NC Advocates for Justice, amicus curiae.
PER CURIAM.
HAMLET H.M.A., LLC V. HERNANDEZ
Opinion of the Court
Justice DAVIS did not participate in the consideration or decision of this case.
The remaining members of the Court are equally divided, with three members voting
to affirm and three members voting to reverse the decision of the Court of Appeals.
Accordingly, the decision of the Court of Appeals is left undisturbed and stands
without precedential value. See Piro v. McKeever, 369 N.C. 291, 291, 794 S.E.2d 501,
501 (2016) (per curiam) (affirming a Court of Appeals opinion without precedential
value by an equally divided vote).
AFFIRMED.
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