Sanderson v. Moline

Plaintiffs appeal a judgment entered upon a jury verdict in favor of defendants denying recovery in a malpractice action. Plaintiffs sought recovery based upon the alleged negligent diagnosis, care and treatment by defendant dentist, which allowed plaintiff wife’s dental condition to deteriorate to an advanced stage of periodontal disease. We reverse.

The primary reason for our reversal is the trial court’s improper adoption of the locality rule for the establishment of the standard of care. The Supreme Court, in the far-reaching decision of Pederson v. Dumouchel, 72 Wn.2d 73, 79, 431 P.2d 973…