Wingett v. Challa (Signed Opinion)
Annotate this Case
The Supreme Court answered in the affirmative a certified question brought to it by the circuit court, concluding that a healthcare provider who was named in a complaint but voluntarily dismissed as a party is an "alleged party" for purposes of W. Va. Code 55-7B-9(b).
Plaintiff brought this medical malpractice complaint under the Medical Professional Liability Act against several healthcare providers. At issue was section 55-7B-9(b), which states that the jury "shall" consider the fault of "all alleged parties" and whether the parties who were dismissed but who did not settle their claims with Plaintiff may be considered by the jury in apportioning fault under section 55-7B-9(b). The Supreme Court concluded that the term "alleged parties" encompasses those originally named as a party in the complaint as having contributed to the plaintiff's injuries, regardless of whether they remain parties to the litigation at the time of trial.
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.