Woodruff v. Gitlow
Annotate this CaseThe Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires that all pilots obtain and maintain a valid medical certificate. After he was involved in motor-vehicle accident, Plaintiff, a commercial pilot, surrendered his medical certificate at the request at the FAA. Plaintiff subsequently sought reinstatement from the FAA. The FAA retained Defendant, a physician, as a medical consultant to opine whether Plaintiff met the FAA’s criteria for alcohol dependence. After reviewing certain medical documents, Defendant determined that Plaintiff was substance dependent. Plaintiff sued Defendant, alleging that Defendant was negligent in making his report and that the FAA had relied on Defendant’s conclusion to Plaintiff’s detriment. The superior court denied Defendant’s motion for summary judgment, concluding that Defendant owed Plaintiff a duty of care to accurately reach or report the conclusions of his records review. The Supreme Court quashed the order of the superior court, holding that Defendant did not owe Plaintiff a duty of care in this case.
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