Bates v. Meyer

This is an appeal from a summary judgment for the defendant, Dr. Richard Meyer, in a medical malpractice case. The plaintiff, Emmett S. Bates, contended that Dr. Meyer had negligently "lost" a biopsy abstracted from his wrist. We affirm.

Emmett Bates suffered from chronic pain in his right wrist and was seen by Dr. James Lipstate at the Arthritis Clinic at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. Dr. Lipstate thought that his pain was caused by rheumatoid arthritis, pigmented villondular synovitis or possibly an infection. Dr. Lipstate suggested that Mr. Bates have a biopsy taken to help…