The Texas legislature has just passed a law giving ringside doctors immunity from lawsuits if they are negligent in their duties.
Senate Bill 842 updated the State’s Occupation’s Code with the following language:
IMMUNITY FOR RINGSIDE PHYSICIANS.
(a)Except as otherwise provided by this section, a ringside
physician is immune from civil liability arising from acts within
the scope of the physician ’s responsibilities at a combative sports
event.
The legislation then makes a single carve out which states that if the actions amount to gross negligence only then can the physician be sued. Here is the language of the exception:
(b) The immunity from civil liability provided by
Subsection (a) does not apply to a cause of action arising from an
act or omission constituting gross negligence of the physician.
The legislation can be found here.
Texas’ Athletic Commission celebrated the development with the following tweet:
While this may be “great news” for ringside doctors who now cannot be sued if they are negligent, it is not great news for fighters who have been stripped of a remedy in case one of the measures in place to protect them breaks down through neglect.
Combat Sports Law 