Employer liability, workers' compensation, evidence, policy and procedure, safety, service provider's liability.

An employee of General Electric appeals a lower court's ruling in suit against a physician contracted by the company to review employee X-rays. GE contracted with Dr. C. Vernon Williamson to review X-rays that were required for workers involved with particular tasks. Willard Hoover, a GE employee, worked for many years in a position that exposed him to silica dust. Hoover filed suit against Williamson, claiming the physician failed to advise him that his X-rays indicated development of an illness related to exposure to the dust. Hoover contended that Williamson annually reviewed the X-rays and approved Hoover for continued work. Williamson asserted the only relationship involved in this case concerned his contract with GE, not with workers whose X-rays he reviewed.

The Superior Court of Baltimore found for Dr. Williams, ruling no doctor-patient relationship existed between Williams and the individual employees of GE. Hoover now appeals.

Hoover wins. The Maryland Court of Appeals ruled the lower jurisdiction erred in handling the case. The appeals court remanded the case to the lower jurisdiction for appropriate action.