Medical Causation Language

The Mississippi Court of Appeals decided City of Jackson v. Graham on Tuesday located here.  The opinion had the clearest statement on medical bills I am aware of in a personal injury case. The Court stated “Proof that medical, hospital, and doctor bills were paid  or  incurred  because of  any  illness,  disease,  or  injury   shall  be prima  facie  evidence that  such  bills  so  paid  or  incurred  were necessary  and  reasonable.”    Boggs  v.  Hawks,  772  So. 2d  1082,  1085  (¶7)  (Miss.  Ct.  App.  2000);  see  also  Miss. Code  Ann.  §  41-9-119  (Rev.  1993). Further,  the  supreme  court  has  previously  held  that,  “when  a  party  takes  the  witness  stand  and exhibits  bills  for  examination  by  the  court  and  testifies  that  said  bills  were  incurred  as  a  result of  the  injuries  complained  of,  they  become  prima  facie  evidence  that  the  bills  so  paid  or incurred  were necessary  and  reasonable.”    Jackson  v.  Brumfield,  458  So.  2d  736,  737  (Miss. 1984).    “However,  the  opposing  party  may,  if  desired,  rebut  the  necessity  and  reasonableness of the bills by proper evidence.” Id.“The ultimate question is then for the [fact-finder] to determine.”  Id.   The law in this area is certainly easier than in Tennessee where all of those have to be shown normally by doctor's deposition of every doctor.