Dentist sued for practical joke

[robnon]

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Hello Everyone,
I am not sure if someone else posted about this, but I found this article and I found it interesting. What do you guys think of it?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070727/ap_on_fe_st/jokester_dentist

 

[DrJeff]

Hello Everyone,
I am not sure if someone else posted about this, but I found this article and I found it interesting. What do you guys think of it?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070727/ap_on_fe_st/jokester_dentist

I better be carefull then😉 Or atleast I only play practical jokes like that on my staff members while they're awake! And I HAVE done something similiar!

One of my office staff needed to have #8 + #9 exo'd due to post ortho root resorption making them unrestorable long term. She had very, very white teeth (BL 0 if you're familar with a bleaching shade guide, if not lets just say that BL 0 makes B1 look quite dark). Well, I had a flipper made by the lab I use, and she eagerly checked it out the day the UPS man delivered it, and she was quite happy with its appearance.

Well, along comes the day for the exo's and flipper insertion, and without her knowing, I secretly made another flipper using some old denture teeth I had from d-school that were roughly shade C4, and then I set them with the incisal edges about 3mm to long and roughly 30 degrees divergent from each other (think of the Halloween costume "hillbilly" teeth). I popped her natural teeth out, quickly inserted the flipper and handed her the mirror! Her reaction was absolutely priceless

 

[vize]

Lol jeff. Well, Robnon, I'd say it's typical for people to be sue-happy. I'm just surprised it was a member of his staff! It's also not surprising the insurance companies tried to weasel their way out of paying for it.

 

[Revellian]

Hello Everyone,
I am not sure if someone else posted about this, but I found this article and I found it interesting. What do you guys think of it?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070727/ap_on_fe_st/jokester_dentist

The whole situation has me scratching my head. First, why the hell does someone deserve $250,000 for being embarassed as a result of a practical joke? She needs to develop a thicker skin. It boggles my mind that someone could be that petty.

Second, I don't understand how a court found the insurance company liable for a practical joke. How, exactly, was the joke part of the practice of dentistry. That seems like a stretch.

Third, why did the court award Dr. Woo the entirety of the settlement ($250,000) plus an additional $750,000? 😕

 

[onelove4uk]

Yea that was pretty stupid, while I think Woo did it for laughs, it's not right that he made a massive profit. Insurance should not be liable and Alberts has the right to sue him. I think one of the reasons she felt embarrassed was probably because she talked about pigs a lot and then he actually made her look like a pig and then took pictures and showed everyone except her. So yea I can see how she felt insulted and laughed at. he should've shown her the pictures immediately after...

 

[dentheartthrob]

this is what happens when you play practical jokes on people you THOUGHT you are close with. After being a apart of the staff for 5 years, you'd think some sort of camaraderie would've developed between these people.

 

[philchungski]

this has got to be probably one of the most f'ed up things i have heard in awhile... im starting to believe that the doctor and employee went in on it together to beat a certain loophole in the insurance system...

both came up quite a bit.... insurance lost a million.... sounds like a legit insurance fraud to me...

but yeah... HILARIOUS >:O

 

[crazy_sherm]

this has got to be probably one of the most f'ed up things i have heard in awhile... im starting to believe that the doctor and employee went in on it together to beat a certain loophole in the insurance system...

both came up quite a bit.... insurance lost a million.... sounds like a legit insurance fraud to me...

but yeah... HILARIOUS >:O

I doubt it considering the oral surgeon lost the case the first few times and only got it reversed when he appealed to the state supreme court. That's pretty elaborate and full of too many chances for it to go wrong for an insurance fraud plan.

I do think there is a lot more to the story and perhaps the way the one staffer was being treated outside of this joke incident. Unless she's crazy or just money hungry, happy people don't usually sue their friends/colleagues.

 

[vaio]

he made 750K out of all this 👍

 

[pine88]

he made 750K out of all this 👍

I'm guessing a good chunk of it went to court costs, lawyer fees, and lost worktime. Doing just one case takes forever and costs a ******ed amount, and this one went all the way up the court system.

 

[OceanDMD]

Yea that was pretty stupid, while I think Woo did it for laughs, it's not right that he made a massive profit. Insurance should not be liable and Alberts has the right to sue him. I think one of the reasons she felt embarrassed was probably because she talked about pigs a lot and then he actually made her look like a pig and then took pictures and showed everyone except her. So yea I can see how she felt insulted and laughed at. he should've shown her the pictures immediately after...

Never EVER EVER EVER stick up for an insurance company. Regardless of whether they had any responsibility, insurance companies screw their clients and the clinicians that treat their clients daily.

 

[armorshell]

Yea that was pretty stupid, while I think Woo did it for laughs, it's not right that he made a massive profit. Insurance should not be liable and Alberts has the right to sue him. I think one of the reasons she felt embarrassed was probably because she talked about pigs a lot and then he actually made her look like a pig and then took pictures and showed everyone except her. So yea I can see how she felt insulted and laughed at. he should've shown her the pictures immediately after...

If the assistant successfully sued the Dr. for malpractice, meaning a court awarded her a malpractice settlement than it's the insurance companies responsibility to pay for the damages according to the contract they signed with the doctor.

If they illegally refused to pay than the doc was right to sue them, regardless of the circumstances of the offense.

 

[Revellian]

Never EVER EVER EVER stick up for an insurance company. Regardless of whether they had any responsibility, insurance companies screw their clients and the clinicians that treat their clients daily.

Unfortunately, this was probably the same mentality shared by the five justices that sided in favor of Dr. Woo. Surely, the big, bad insurance company could afford to pay a $1 million judgment, and we shouldn't worry about whether or not they had any responsibility in the matter? This, to me, isn't justice, but rather vengeance for all of the past wrongs by this insurance company, and every other insurance company for that matter. The only problem is, do you really think they will pay the $1 million? This "expense" will most likely be passed on to their consumers, ie other dentists.

It's not my intent to stick up for the insurance company. I just don't see the sense in 'passing the buck' to a party that bears no responsibility for the issue at hand.

 

[Revellian]

If the assistant successfully sued the Dr. for malpractice, meaning a court awarded her a malpractice settlement than it's the insurance companies responsibility to pay for the damages according to the contract they signed with the doctor.

If they illegally refused to pay than the doc was right to sue them, regardless of the circumstances of the offense.

True, but that's not what happened here. Dr Woo settled out of court and, as far as I can tell, there was no mention of malpractice.

 

[DrJeff]

Never EVER EVER EVER stick up for an insurance company. Regardless of whether they had any responsibility, insurance companies screw their clients and the clinicians that treat their clients daily.

Not even 1 spec of disagreement on this one😱

Remember, insurance companies are FOR PROFIT companies, whose operating model sees them doing their darndest to DECREASE their expenses(payouts - either to you as a clinician or a client) while INCREASING their revenue(policy fees, etc).

Don't let them tell you elsewise.

 

[joooj86]

didnt it say that the insurance company won the next round after appealing the judgment?

 

[Revellian]

didnt it say that the insurance company won the next round after appealing the judgment?

The County Superior Court sided with Dr Woo. Then the Court of Appeals sided with the insurance company, removing the award to Dr Woo. Then the State Supreme Court, siding with Dr Woo, restored the $1 million judgment.