A medical malpractice suit can return to a trial court with a jury instruction to consider certain circumstantial evidence in addition to direct evidence following a split decision from the state Supreme Court. 

The high court determined Dec. 22 that a plaintiff can use the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur—in which certain injuries can be assumed to be the result of negligence—in cases where the plaintiff has enough direct evidence that the doctrine is not the only way to reach a finding of liability.