Pavlinko v. Yale-New Haven Hospital

The issue presented by this case is whether dismissal of a malpractice action is appropriate because of the refusal of the plaintiff to answer questions at a deposition concerning the removal, custody and control of the hospital records pertaining to the plaintiffs decedent. On the facts of this case we hold that dismissal is an appropriate sanction.

The plaintiff, as administrator of the estate of his wife, Julie Pavlinko, brought the present action against the Yale-New Haven Hospital, the Yale University School of Medicine and certain individual physicians alleging that the defendants were…