Medical Malpractice

1
Medical Malpractice

• Adapted from a presentation by Arthur R. Derse,
  MD, JD, FACEP

2
Law

• Common, Statutory, Administrative
• Federal State
• Civil Criminal

3
Law

• Common - Judiciary
• Statutory - Legislature
• Administrative - Executive

4
Law

• Federal
• State - Themes with variations

5
Law

• Civil
• Monetary damages
• Criminal
• Monetary fines
• Prison

6
Malpractice

• Duty
• Breach
• Causation
• Damages

7
Malpractice Elements

• Duty
• derives from the establishment of physician
  patient relationship
• duty to provide the standard of care

8
Malpractice Elements

• Breach deviation from standard of care
  "average prudent practitioner" established by any
  of the following
• expert testimony
• industrial standards
• common knowledge or "res ipsa loquitur" the
  thing speaks for itself
• judicial determination

9
Malpractice Elements

• Causation "proximate cause" ( legal
  cause) including partial causation

10
Malpractice Elements

• Damages
• medical costs and lost wages
• pain and suffering

11
Malpractice Defenses

• Good Samaritan
• Other Defenses
• Statute of Limitations