Mary Melinda Barnes v. Navarro Hospital, LP, Navarro Regional, LLC, D/B/A NAVREG, LLC
Mary Melinda Barnes, an employee, sued Navarro Hospital for injuries sustained at work, alleging negligence. Navarro moved to dismiss, arguing the claim constituted a health care liability claim (HCLC) under the Texas Medical Liability Act (TMLA), which required an expert medical report that Barnes failed to provide. Barnes subsequently attempted to amend her petition to remove HCLC-related allegations. The trial court granted Navarro's motion to dismiss, and the Court of Appeals affirmed. The appellate court concluded that the original petition established the claim as an HCLC, and Barnes's amended pleadings were an attempt to bypass TMLA requirements.