Order Regarding Affidavit of Merit for Foreign Object Left in Patient

IN THE SUPERIOR COU RT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE JOS HUA K OBER,)) Plain tiff,) v.) C.A. No.: N25C - 12 - 059 FJJ) CHRI STIANA CA RE HEALTH) SERVICES, INC. d/b/a C HRISTIANA) HOSPI TAL a nd MARY BARRISH,)) Defe nda nt s.) O RD ER R EGARDING AFFI DAVIT OF MERIT T his 25 th da y of Feb rua ry, 20 2 6, t he Cou rt has r evie we d t he Comp laint a nd in camera Plainti ff’s A ffida vit s of M erit pur sua nt to 1 8 Del. C. §6853(a) (3) a nd 6853(d). Having done so, the C ourt f ind s the f ollow ing: 1. Plain tiff alle ges i n his c omp lain t tha t a for eign objec t wa s uni ntent ion all y left wi thi n the bo dy of th e patie nt dur ing surger y. The c omp laint f urth er alleges tha t wha t was left in his body wa s a por tio n of an I V cat heter. It is uncle ar t o the C ourt whet her th is si tuat ion f alls un der t he exc ep tion of 18 Del. C. §685 3(b). F ortuna te ly, a nd desp ite the al legat ion s in th e co mplaint of no need for an Af fida vit of Me rit, P la int iff ha s provi ded t wo Affida vit s of Mer it. 2. Two expert w itne ss es ha ve signe d Aff ida vits of M e rit. 3. Ea ch affi dav it is acc ompa nie d by a curr ent c urri culu m vit ae of th e expe rt witne ss. 4. The first expe rt witness who s igne d the Affida vit r epre sent s she ha s a doct orate in Nursin g.

1. The nurs ing e xpert Affida vit indi cates t he exp ert witn ess wa s licens ed to practice nursing as o f the da te of the A ffid avit. 6. The nursing Affidavit indicate s the expe rt wit ness ha s bee n enga ged in the trea tment of patie nts a nd/or in the aca dem ic side of the fie ld s of Nursing for a t leas t three year s pre cedi ng t he ac ts alle ged i n the C ompl aint. 7. The Af fida vit c onta in s an opinion that t here wa s a b reac h of t he sta ndar d o f care and tha t the br eac h was t he prox ima te ca use of the inju ries a llege d i n the Com pla int. 8. T he Nursing Aff ida vit c ompl ies w ith the requ ire ment s of 18 Del. C. §§6853 (a)(1) and 6853 (c) as to a ll Def en dant s name d in t he Co mpla int. 1 9. The s econ d aff ida vit is auth ore d by a cl inica l and consult ing Psych ologist who ha s cert ifie d that he wa s lic ense d to prac tic e clin ical a nd co nsult in g Psych olo gy as of the dat e of the Affi davi t. 10. The Ps ycho log ist Aff idav it indi cat es the e xper t witn ess ha s bee n enga ge d in the tre atme nt of pa tien ts and/ or the aca dem ic side of the fiel d of clini cal and c ons ultin g ps ych ology for a t le ast thre e yea rs pr ece ding t he act s alle ged in the Com plai nt. 11. The Aff ida vit c ontain s an opi nio n that t he allege d br eac hes of th e stand ar d of care were a pro xim ate ca use of the em otion al in jurie s al lege d. Thi s Affida vit c om plie s wit h the re quir eme nts of 18 Del.C §§ 6853(a)(1) and 6853(c) a s to al l Defe ndan ts as t o the issu e of ca usa tion. IT IS SO ORDE RE D. /s/ Fra ncis J. Jone s, Jr. Franc is J. Jone s Jr., J udge cc: File & ServeXpr ess 1 Dougherty v. Hori zon Hous e, Inc., 2008 W L 3488532 (D el. Super. 2008).