An action sounding both in general negligence and medical malpractice was brought against our client hospital by a 36-year-old female patient who alleged that the ED staff’s ordinary negligence and departures from acceptable standards of medical care caused her to fall and sustain serious injuries. The patient had been getting counseled by a physician in the ED in the course of what had begun as a voluntary alcohol detoxification admission. She was calm, oriented and cooperative until, suddenly, she scooted down to the end of her gurney, hopped off the end and bolted toward the exit doors. The physician attempted to verbally reassure her that she should stay and receive the complete detox treatment, and not get off the gurney or exit the hospital, but he did not attempt to physically block or restrain her. She stumbled as she ran through the ED, fell forward, hit the floor, and sustained facial, forehead and tongue injuries. She exhibited a 10-second seizure before being transferred to the ICU for observation. She also alleged cervical spine injuries and post traumatic stress disorder. We moved for summary judgment on all claims, asserting that the general negligence claims were improper because the case could only be properly decided based upon considerations of medical judgment, thus requiring expert testimony, and that the medical malpractice claim could not be sustained because the doctor had properly assessed the patient, the siderails of her gurney had been kept in the raised position for her safety, it would not have been appropriate to restrain the plaintiff with wrist ties or anything similarly restrictive, the doctor had no duty to physically restrain her when she abruptly elected to scoot off the gurney and exit the hospital, and her injuries were thus entirely self-inflicted. The motion was granted in its entirety and the action dismissed.