Brugaletta v. Garcia

**230This appeal arises from a discovery dispute in a medical malpractice action involving a hospital's and its staff's care of a patient. The parties clash over the boundaries of privileged material under the Patient Safety Act (PSA), N.J.S.A. 26:2H-12.23 to -12.25c, and plaintiff's ability to receive responsive discovery in order to prepare her action.

In enacting the PSA, the Legislature sought to reduce medical errors by promoting internal self-reporting and evaluation by health care facilities. The Legislature protected and encouraged this new system of self-critical analysis through a…