Graham v. Wallace

I

This is a medical malpractice case where a jury rendered a verdict for the plaintiff/ap-pellee, Jessie L. Graham, against the defendant/appellant, Dr. David A. Wallace, an oral surgeon. The gravamen of the plaintiffs claim was that Dr. Wallace had been negligent in installing an implant in the plaintiffs jaw — specifically in his temporomandibular joint (“TMJ”) — to attempt to alleviate the plaintiffs severe head pain.

A detailed discussion of the underlying facts is unnecessary to this opinion, as we need only address two fairly narrow issues. The first issue is whether the plaintiffs…