Wyatt Ex Rel. Estate of Wyatt v. Vanguard Health Systems, Inc.

Chief Justice BERCH,

opinion of the Court.

¶ 1 This case addresses whether § 46-455 of Arizona’s Adult Protective Services Act subjects acute care hospitals to potential liability. We conclude that it does.

I. BACKGROUND

¶ 2 The estates of Helen Wyatt and Karl H. Kuhfuss Jr. filed separate wrongful death actions against two acute care hospitals, Phoenix Baptist Hospital and John C. Lincoln Hospital, alleging violations of the Adult Protective Services Act (“APSA”), AR.S. §§ 46-451 to -459, among other claims.

¶3 In each case, the trial court granted partial summary judgment, ruling that APSA does…