Brenda Brandt was admitted to Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center to
receive treatment for urinary incontinence. During the course of an
operation, the doctor surgically implanted a ProteGen sling im
Brandt. Subsequently, the manufacturer of the sling, Boston
Scientific Corporation, issued a recall of the sling because it was
causing medical complications in some patients. Brandt suffered
serious complications and had the sling surgically removed.
Brandt sued Boston Scientific Corporation and Health Center
for breCh of the implied warranty of merchantability included in
Article 2 (Sales) of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). Health
Center filed a motion with the court to have the case against it
dismissed. Health Center argued that it was a provider of services
and not a merchant that sold goods, and because the UCC (Sales)
applies to the sales of goods, Health Center was not subject to the
UCC. Health Center proved that Brandt's bill was $11,174.50 total
charge for her surgery, with a charge of $1,659.50, or 14.9%, for
the sling and and its surgical kit.
Is the transaction between Brandt and Health Center
predominantly the provision of services or the sale of goods?