DANIEL G. KNAUF, M.D., APPELLANT,
v.
SHIRLEY MCBRIDE, ET AL., APPELLEES
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Dr. Knauf appealed from an order denying his motion to dismiss a medical malpractice suit, claiming state employee immunity under Florida law. The First District Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal as not being from a final or appealable non-final order, holding that the trial court's denial of the motion to dismiss did not determine jurisdiction over the person.
The order denying the motion to dismiss is not an appealable non-final order because it does not determine jurisdiction of the person but merely allows discovery to proceed. A state employee is not automatically immune from liability or suit simply by virtue of state employment; immunity does not apply when the employee is sued in their capacity as an agent or employee of a private enterprise rather than in their capacity as a state employee.
[1] An order denying a motion to dismiss based on alleged immunity is not an appealable non-final order if it does not determine jurisdiction of the person.
[2] A state employee sued as an agent or employee of a private enterprise is not automatically immune from liability or suit under Florida Statutes section 768.28(9)(a).
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“Appellant misperceives the effect of section 768.28(9)(a). Just because appellant is an employee of the State of Florida does not mean he is as a matter of law immune from all liability or suit.”
Establishes that state employment does not confer blanket immunity from suit
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceShirley McBride sued Dr. Daniel Knauf and others for medical malpractice, alleging that through medical and clerical errors, open heart surgery was pe…
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PER CURIAM.
This is an appeal from a non-final order of the trial court which denied a motion to dismiss. We dismiss the appeal.
The appellee, Shirley McBride, sued appellant, Daniel Knauf, and others for medical malpractice. The complaint alleges, in essence, that through a series of medical and clerical mistakes, open heart surgery was performed upon the wrong patient, appellee McBride. The complaint alleges that the surgery took place at Shands Teaching Hospital and Clinics, Inc. The complaint further alleges that appellant, while acting as an agent or employee of Shands, performed the aortic valve placement surgery upon appellee.
Appellant filed a motion to dismiss the complaint against him asserting that he was an employee of the State of Florida, and was, therefore, immune from liability and suit1 pursuant to section 768.28(9)(a), Florida Statutes.2 In support of the motion appellant submitted his own affidavit. The affidavit admits that appellant provided the medical services to appellee. The affidavit also states that appellant is an Associate Professor of Thoracic Surgery at the University of Florida, College of Medicine and that he receives no salary or other employee benefits from Shands. The affidavit does not state that appellant is not an agent of Shands. The trial court, after hearing, entered an order denying appellant’s motion to dismiss.
Upon receipt of appellant’s initial brief this court, sua sponte, issued an order to show cause why this appeal should not be dismissed because the order being appealed did not appear to be one of the non-final orders specified in Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.130 which may be appealed prior to entry of a final order. Appellant filed a response and argues that the order denying the motion to dismiss is appealable at this time pursuant to Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.130(a)(3)(C)©, because the order determined jurisdiction of the person. Appellant’s initial brief asserts that appellant, because he is a state employee, is immune from liability and suit and should not have to respond to interrogatories, requests for production, requests for admission and the other burdens of being named a party to a lawsuit.
We disagree.
Appellant misperceives the effect of section 768.28(9)(a).
Just because appellant is an employee of the State of Florida does not mean he is as a matter of law immune from all liability or suit. See Martin v. Drylie, 560 So. 2d 1285 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990).
Appellant is not being sued in his capacity as an employee of the State of Florida. Appellant is being sued as an agent or employee of Shands Hospital, a private enterprise. Shands Teaching Hospitals and Clinics, Inc. v. Lee, 478 So. 2d 77 (Fla. 1st DCA 1985).
It is apparent the trial court’s order did not determine jurisdiction over appellant, but rather merely allowed discovery to continue so that appellee could attempt to prove the allegations of her complaint, i.e., that when appellant operated on her, he was doing so as an agent or employee of Shands and was, thus, subject to suit and liability. As such the trial court’s order denying the motion to dismiss is not appealable as a non-final order. See Page v. Ezell, 452 So. 2d 582, 583 (Fla. 3d DCA 1984) and State Road Dep’t v. Brill, 171 So. 2d 229 (Fla. 1st DCA 1964) (both holding under slightly different facts that orders which deny motions to dismiss based on alleged immunity do not determine jurisdiction of the person).
Accordingly, this appeal is dismissed.
JOANOS, WIGGINTON and ZEHMER, JJ., concur. . Appellant did not contest service of process nor did appellant challenge the sufficiency of the complaint.
. Section 768.28(9)(a) provides in pertinent part: No officer, employee, or agent of the State ... shall be held personally liable in tort or named as a party defendant in any action for any injury or damage suffered as a result of any act ... or omission ... in the scope of his employment or function....
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Gardner v. Edward W. Holifield, M.D., 639 So. 2d 652 (Fla. 1st DCA 1994)…course and scope of their state employment. Accordingly, a state employee sued in other than the capacity as an employee is not, as a matter of law, immune from all liability. Martin v. Drylie, 560 So. 2d 1285 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990); Knauf v. McBride, 564 So. 2d 251 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990). The question for determination is whether at the time of the negligent act alleged, a state-employed physician was acting in the scope of his employment or function pursuant to the terms of section 768.28(9)(a), Florida Statutes…
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Bill Holt Sales & Leasing, Inc. v. Cousins, 904 So. 2d 502 (Fla. 1st DCA 2005)…onal jurisdiction over Bill Holt Sales; rather the court decided only the facts before it were not sufficiently clear on the issue of ownership to permit summary judgment. A somewhat comparable situation to that at bar occurred in Knauf v. McBride, 564 So. 2d 251 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990). After Dr. Daniel Knauf was sued for medical malpractice based upon a surgery he performed at Shands Teaching Hospital, he filed a motion to dismiss for lack of in personam jurisdiction, claiming he was immune from liability, bec…
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J & S Installation Specialist, Inc. v. Mabry, 857 So. 2d 346 (Fla. 2d DCA 2003)…not subject to appeal in the circuit court. See Contractor’s Mgmt. Sys. of NH, Inc. v. Acree Air Conditioning, Inc., 799 So. 2d 320, 321-22 (Fla. 2d DCA 2001); Am. States Ins. Co. v. Streightiff, 597 So. 2d 919 (Fla. 4th DCA 1992); Knauf v. McBride, 564 So. 2d 251, 253 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990). Insofar as the record reveals, the Personal Representative did not attempt to challenge the county court’s order in the circuit court by a petition for writ of cer-tiorari, petition for writ of prohibition, or otherwise. In…
Previewing 3 of 4 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Shands Teaching Hosp. & Clinics v. Norissa M. LEE, 478 So. 2d 77 (Fla. 1st DCA 1985)
- State Rd. Dep't of Fla. v. Brill, 171 So. 2d 229 (Fla. 1st DCA 1964)
- Page v. Gale Glass Ezell and Sheldon Ezell, 452 So. 2d 582 (Fla. 3d DCA 1984)
- Martin v. David M. Drylie, M.D., 560 So. 2d 1285 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990)