Kathleen States, Appellants v. Lourdes Hospital, a Daughter of Charity Hospital, Defendants, and…

Summary

The New York Court of Appeals reversed the Appellate Division and denied the defendants' motion for summary judgment, holding that expert medical testimony may be admitted to satisfy the first element of res ipsa loquitur in medical malpractice cases where lay knowledge is insufficient. The Court reasoned that such testimony can bridge the gap between lay common knowledge and specialized medical understanding without negating the jury's ultimate fact‑finding role.