After a Georgia hand surgeon reattached the wrong fingertips to a patient’s hand during surgery, an unaffiliated medical expert secured by the plaintiff testified the doctor’s conduct violated the standard of care.

Now defense counsel for Dr. Robert Howell of Georgia Hand Shoulder Elbow in Atlanta are challenging whether Washington, D.C.-based surgeon Dr. Michael Morris had been qualified to testify as an expert, leading both sides to argue their stance before the Georgia Court of Appeals.