Georgia Top Court Weighs in on Liability for Supervising Doctors

Doctors supervising a medical student during surgery potentially can be held vicariously liable for the student’s negligence under general agency principles, Georgia’s top court said Tuesday.

The Georgia Supreme Court reversed summary judgment in favor of two physicians and their medical practice, saying there were genuine issues of fact regarding their supervision of a medical student that precluded pretrial judgment in their favor. The unanimous court sent the case back to the trial court for further proceedings.

The state top court clarified the standards for imposing liability on one party for another’s negligence where state law specifically exempts medical students ...