Williams v. Memorial Hospital at Gulfport
Docket: No. 2015-IA-00792-SCT
Court: Mississippi Supreme Court; July 20, 2015; Mississippi; State Supreme Court
Defendant Toccara Williams' petition to appeal an interlocutory order from the Circuit Court of Harrison County was granted by the court. Williams was involved in a car accident, leading to a lawsuit where the plaintiff sought damages for medical bills from Memorial Hospital at Gulfport (Memorial). Under Mississippi law, the plaintiff's assertion of these bills as necessary and reasonable is considered prima facie evidence, but this presumption can be challenged with appropriate evidence. Williams contested the reasonableness of the medical charges and served Memorial with a subpoena for documents and deposition regarding billing practices. The requested documents included fee schedules, internal memos about billing variations related to patients involved in litigation versus those who are not, and comparisons of charges with other healthcare providers. Memorial sought to quash the subpoena, and the trial court granted this motion, prohibiting the deposition and document production. The court found that Williams is entitled to discover information relevant to the necessity and reasonableness of Memorial's charges, determining that the trial court erred in quashing the subpoena. The order also allows Memorial to file for protective measures concerning any confidential information. The appeal is deemed filed, the trial court's order is reversed, and the case is remanded for further proceedings. The costs of the appeal are to be shared equally between the parties.