Spurgeon v. Mercy Health-Anderson Hosp., L.L.C.

# Spurgeon v. Mercy Health-Anderson Hospital Summary ## What Happened A nurse brought a medical malpractice case against Mercy Health-Anderson Hospital. During the lawsuit, the hospital refused to turn over certain nurse employee files, claiming they were protected under "peer-review privilege"—a legal rule that can keep certain hospital reviews confidential to encourage honest safety discussions. ## What the Court Decided The Ohio appeals court sided with the nurse. The court ruled the hospital could not hide the files because the hospital failed to prove they actually came from a peer-review committee. The court found no evidence that a peer-review committee ever investigated this case or that the files were created specifically for that purpose. Since the records came from the hospital's human resources department, they didn't qualify for special protection. ## Why This Matters for Workers This decision protects workers' access to employment records. Employers cannot simply claim documents are "confidential" to avoid turning them over during lawsuits. Workers have a better chance of obtaining their own personnel files and related documents, even when employers claim special protections apply.