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Russell T. Fitzgerald v. Preston C. Manning, Jr., M. D.
Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (1982) | 679 F.2d 341; 1982 U.S. App. LEXIS 19077
TL;DR: A patient sued his surgeon after losing a lung following an operation. The court affirmed a directed verdict for the doctor, finding the patient's expert testimony failed to establish that the doctor's alleged negligence, rather than other factors, was the probable cause of the injury.
Legal Significance: This case clarifies the stringent causation standard in Virginia medical malpractice law, requiring expert testimony to establish, with a reasonable degree of medical certainty, that the defendant's negligence was "more likely than not" the cause of the plaintiff's injury, especially when multiple potential causes exist.