Sandra T. Doty

SANDRA T. DOTY (Sandy) was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada in 1970. She received an Associate of Arts degree from the College of Southern Idaho in 1990, her Bachelor of Arts degree from Northeast Louisiana University in 1992, and her Juris Doctorate from the Mississippi College School of Law in 1997.  Ms. Doty has extensive experience as both coverage counsel and litigation counsel, including the defense of medical malpractice and long term care cases, general and commercial liability, and workers compensation. 

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Recent Decisions:

       The Mississippi Worker's Compensation Commission recently ruled in favor of Sandra T. Doty by dismissing the case of Percy Jones v Averitt, Inc. Dismissal of the case was due to Claimant's lack of prosecution, and the Administrative Judge subsequently denied the Claimant's Motion to Reinstate Claims. Following 20 days from the entry of the Denial of Claimant's Motion to Reinstate Case, it was rendered a Final Order pursuant to Miss. Code Ann. § 71-3-47 (Supp. 2003).

Rea v. Foamex & American Home Assurance Company,  Mississippi Workers' Compensation Commission (September 2010)

       Sandy T. Doty recently received a favorable ruling from the Mississippi Workers' Compensation Commission affirming a lower court's dismissal of the claim for lack of prosecution, and subsequent denial of Claimant's Motion to Reinstate Claim. The Full Commission Order found that, since the Claimant failed to file a Motion to Reinstate Case within 20 days from the date the Order was entered, it became a final order, pursuant to Miss. Code Ann. § 71-3-47 (Supp. 2003). Once it became a final order, the Claimant's only remaining avenue of recourse to reinstate the case was to invoke continuing jurisdiction pursuant to Miss. Code Ann. § 71-3-53 (Supp. 2003). This requires that Claimant establish evidence of a change in condition or a mistake in fact which would allow the case to be reinstated. The Full Commission rejected the Claimant's argument that a mistake in fact occurred, and affirmed the Administrative Judge's order denying the Motion to Reinstate.

Summary Judgments: 

Smith, Margaret, et al v. Mariner Health Care, Inc., United States District Court (September 2005)
Sandra T. Doty and Carl Hagwood obtained summary judgment in a nursing home alleged abuse/neglect case on the grounds that the Plaintiffs lacked standing to maintain the action. The Plaintiffs had failed to properly open an Estate and otherwise lacked standing to maintain the action.

Austin, Helen, et al v. Mariner Health Care, Inc., United States District Court (March 2005)
Sandra T. Doty and Carl Hagwood successfully argued that the Plaintiffs lacked standing to maintain this wrongful death action alleging nursing home abuse and neglect on the grounds that the Plaintiffs had not properly opened up an Estate and otherwise lacked standing to maintain the action.

Appellate Court Decisions:

Melissa Winter v. Wal-Mart Supercenter and American Home Assurance Company.(August, 2009)

Sandra T. Doty recently received a favorable opinion from the Mississippi Court of Appeals involving a workers compensation matter.  The Court of Appeals affirmed the lower courts dismissal of the claim for Claimants failure to file a pre-hearing statement. The basis of the finding was that the Claimant did not satisfy the burden set forth by 71-3-53 in establishing that a mistake in determination of fact was present which would warrant the reinstatement of the case. This finding was affirmed by the Mississippi Supreme Court on February 4, 2010.