Opinion

Berel v. HCA Health Services of Texas, Inc.

  • 881 S.W.2d 21
  • 1994 WL 69943
Court
Texas Court of Appeals, 1st District (Houston)
Filed
Jul 28, 1994
Status
Published
Author
Oliver-Parrott
On the bench
Oliver-Parrott, O'Connor, Wilson
Cited by
21 cases

The opinion

OLIVER-PARROTT, Chief Justice,

concurring.

I concur in the majority’s finding a fact issue as to whether there is potential liability on the part of a psychiatric hospital in this particular case. In light of the dissent’s comments, however, I believe it is important to emphasize that this ease does not involve a vague right to control the physician’s admission and treatment of patients with general allegations of physician negligence. The plaintiffs asserted they were injured by being unnecessarily restrained in a mental health facility. They asserted they spoke directly to the hospital staff and requested release. The staff psychiatrist and defendant doctor testified specifically that the utilization review committee could overrule an admitting physician and discharge any patient if their admission or treatment was inappropriate. There is, therefore, at least a fact issue as to the hospital’s own negligence and its ability to control the admitting physician insofar as timely discharge.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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