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PRESENTATION TO GRAND ROUNDS SEPTEMBER 30, 2009. Timothy J. Ryan, MBA, JD, FACHE Senior Vice President/Associate General Counsel Physician Network Development And Practice Management. COVER 3 SUBJECTS. Describe Medical Malpractice Describe the Anatomy of a Lawsuit - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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PRESENTATION TOGRAND ROUNDS
SEPTEMBER 30, 2009
Timothy J. Ryan, MBA, JD, FACHE
Senior Vice President/Associate General Counsel
Physician Network Development
And Practice Management
COVER 3 SUBJECTS
1. Describe Medical Malpractice
2. Describe the Anatomy of a Lawsuit
3. Discuss Some Risk Management Basics
MALPRACTICE
Malpractice is a tort of negligence which requires 4 elements:1. Duty2. Breach of Duty3. Damages4. Causation
DUTY
When does Duty commence?
Accepting a person as a patient Undertaking to examine or treat a
patient An agreement to be on-call
DUTY(CONT’D)
What Duty is owed?
Health Care professionals have a duty to exercise the same degree of skillexercised by others in the same profession or specialty of ordinarylearning, judgment or skill under the same or similar circumstances.
BREACH
Established by expert testimony.Expert must specialize in the samespecialty as defendant. “More likelythan not” standard.
DAMAGES
Plaintiff must prove that chance to obtain a better result must be greater than 50%.
A finding of liability does not necessitate damages
Cannot obtain damages for emotional distress without a finding of some objective physical consequence.
ECONOMIC DAMAGES
Lost wages Medical expenses Replacement services Attendant care expenses
NON-ECONOMIC DAMAGES
Denial of social pleasure Pain and suffering Loss of companionship Punitive damages not allowed unless
defendant acted maliciously Since 1994, Michigan has cap on non-
economic damages $400,000 $700,000
Loss of limb Impaired cognition Loss of reproductive capacity
CAUSATION
Plaintiff must establish, through expert testimony, that “but for” defendant’s negligence, plaintiff’s injury would not have occurred.
Opportunity to survive or obtain better result, plaintiff must show there was greater than a 50% chance of survival or better result.
ANATOMY OF A MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LAWSUIT
1. File complaint – must be “reasonably specific”
Must have affidavit of merit signed by an expert
2. Answer complaint Defenses
Denial Statute of Limitations (2 years) Governmental Immunity Comparative Negligence – plaintiff’s failure
to comply, reduces award
DISCOVERY
Medical Records Interrogatories Depositions Requests to Admit Motion Practice
CASE EVALUATION
Trial
MALPRACTICE INSURANCE- GENERALLY
1. Limits• Per claim• Annual aggregate
2. Occurrence vs. Claims Made• Gaps
RISK MANAGEMENT
Four C’s
Compassion
Communication
Competence
Charting
Three A’s
Accessibility
Affability
Ability