Nevada Court Vacates $13 Million Verdict Against Health Employer

A Nevada woman whose husband died after his heart surgeon cut a major artery won’t be able to collect a $13 million judgment from the doctor’s employer, the state’s top court said.

Gloria Maddux’s claim for negligent hiring, retention, and supervision against Las Vegas Surgical Associates arose from a doctor-patient relationship and was a professional, not ordinary, negligence action subject to state expert affidavit and testimony requirements, the Nevada Supreme Court said April 10. Because Maddux didn’t satisfy those requirements, her claim was void from the beginning, the justices said in a unanimous opinion.

Expert opinion and testimony requirements in ...