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Central Pathology Service Medical Clinic, Inc. V. Superior Court: Statute Limiting Punitive Damages For The Professional Negligence Of Health Care Providers Includes Intentional Torts, Russell A. Gold

San Diego Law Review

In the 1992 decision of Central Pathology Service Medical Clinic, Inc. v. Superior Court the California Supreme Court held that every plaintiff injured by a health care provider must comply with section 452.13 of the California Civil Procedure Code, provided the injuries are directly related to the provision of professional services. Section 452.13 requires a pretrial determination of whether a punitive damage claim has a substantial probability of prevailing. This statute also applies to intentional torts, in which the plaintiff is injured by treatment to which the plaintiff did not consent. This Casenote analyzes whether additional procedural obstacles are warranted …