Certified questions. In Colavito v. New York Organ Donor Network, Inc., the Second Circuit certified certain questions to the New York State Court of Appeals. The questions certified are as follows:

Do the applicable provisions of the New York Public Health Law vest the intended reipient of a directed organ donation with reights that can be vindicated in a provate party's lawsuit sounding in the common law tort of conversion or through a private right of action derived from the Public Health Law?

Does the Public Health Law immunize either negligent or grossly negligent conduct?

If a donee can bring a provate action to enforce the rights referred to in the first question, may the plaintfiff recover nominal or punitive damages without demonstrating pecuniary loss or actual injury?

The decision can be found at the Second Circuit website. The case was decided on February 23, 2006.