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Oklahoma Supreme Court allows negligence suit against Freeman Health System to proceed, affirms dismissal of out-of-state doctor
Summary
The Oklahoma Supreme Court vacated the court of civil appeals opinion and remanded after finding the trial court erred by not completing the "relates to" prong of the Ford specific-jurisdiction test; it affirmed dismissal of claims against Dr. Gulshan Upal for lack of personal jurisdiction but reversed dismissal of Freeman Health System and sent the case back for further proceedings.
The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Sept. 30, 2025 ruled that a trial court should reassess whether a plaintiff—s malpractice claims "relate to" Freeman Health System—s contacts with Oklahoma, vacating an intermediate appellate opinion and remanding the matter for further proceedings. The court simultaneously affirmed the district court—s dismissal of claims against Dr. Gulshan Upal for lack of personal jurisdiction and reversed the dismissal of Freeman Health System, allowing discovery and additional proceedings on whether Freeman—s Oklahoma ties are sufficiently related to the claims.
The case arises from plaintiff Whitney Bridal—s 2021 medical care: after repeated emergency visits in April 2021 she traveled to Freeman Health System in Joplin, Missouri, where clinicians ultimately diagnosed dural venous sinus thrombosis, hydrocephalus and an altered mental state. The opinion summarizes that Bridal was later transferred to KU Medical Center for an emergency thrombectomy and required long-term acute care, and that she filed suit in Ottawa County, Oklahoma…
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