Tort Reform

[jubb]

Here's an interesting article on Tort reform in Texas and how it's drawn doctors into the state. Hopefully states will have to start fixing the problems in order to have enough doctors and the whole system will shape up a bit.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121097874071799863.html

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[GSresident]

Interesting read. The other thing that is happening is that malpractice insurance companies are starting to take cases to court rather than settle. It prevents a lot of the fishing expedition cases just hoping to land a settlement.

I doubt there will ever be meaningful widespread malpractice reform. Who writes the laws after all?

 

[DrDre311]

Interesting read. The other thing that is happening is that malpractice insurance companies are starting to take cases to court rather than settle. It prevents a lot of the fishing expedition cases just hoping to land a settlement.

I doubt there will ever be meaningful widespread malpractice reform. Who writes the laws after all?

Yeah, why would those bloodsuckers want to kill off an entire arm of their industry? I hate med-mal lawyers. Their job is to tell you that you suck at your job in the meanest, nastiest way possible--despite a complete lack of medical training in most cases--so that they can grub for money. Damn ambulance chasing bastards. I wish being an ******* was a litigable offense.

 

[Kubed]

Here in las vegas legal malpractice lawyers are starting to run ads saying "sue your lawyer!" It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside every time I see one. I hope the next big wave is lawyers eating lawyers

 

[smq123]

I hate med-mal lawyers. Their job is to tell you that you suck at your job in the meanest, nastiest way possible--despite a complete lack of medical training in most cases--so that they can grub for money. Damn ambulance chasing bastards. I wish being an ******* was a litigable offense.

I also detest med-mal lawyers (in case you couldn't tell from my sig).

I've heard of a few med-mal lawyers who are retired physicians. This totally boggles my mind.

There was a rumor that one of the retired general surgeons at my school went back to law school and became a malpractice lawyer. Jerk.

Here in las vegas legal malpractice lawyers are starting to run ads saying "sue your lawyer!" It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside every time I see one. I hope the next big wave is lawyers eating lawyers

Ha. That'd be highly entertaining to watch.

 

[DrDre311]

I also detest med-mal lawyers (in case you couldn't tell from my sig).

I've heard of a few med-mal lawyers who are retired physicians. This totally boggles my mind.

There was a rumor that one of the retired general surgeons at my school went back to law school and became a malpractice lawyer. Jerk.



Ha. That'd be highly entertaining to watch.

Makes me want to puke. I hope legal malpractice becomes its own niche industry and all those med-mal lawyers get to know what it feels like to have someone tell you that you suck at life because your name appears on someone's chart (even though you may in no way be responsible for the outcome), or live in fear of missing some trivial little speck on a CT scan (in a patient who goes on to develop lung cancer 20 years down the road--I am not making this up).

I may go back to law school after I retire so I can become a legal malpractice lawyer. That sounds fun.

 

[Playmakur42]

I've heard of a few med-mal lawyers who are retired physicians. This totally boggles my mind.

There was a rumor that one of the retired general surgeons at my school went back to law school and became a malpractice lawyer.

Start at page 87 of Atul Gawande's Better. There's a story about one of these career changers.

 

[smq123]

I may go back to law school after I retire so I can become a legal malpractice lawyer. That sounds fun.

When I was applying for med school, I considered going for an MD/JD - and becoming a physician defense lawyer.

Start at page 87 of Atul Gawande's Better. There's a story about one of these career changers.

I don't read Atul Gawande - what does he say about the "career changer"?

There's an EM physician who became a med-mal lawyer. I read an article where they interviewed him and wanted to know how he got into med-mal. His answers are such full of BS that I couldn't see straight after I read the interview - I mean, the lies that he spouts are so infuriating.

He claimed that he got "tired" of the "24 hour shifts" in the ER. And that med-mal was more mentally stimulating than medicine. Ugh. He's such a little bastard. He also had the audacity to claim that he still has a lot of doctor friends...who are still so friendly with him that they're willing to testify as expert witnesses for him! Ugh, ugh, ugh.

 

[Playmakur42]

I don't read Atul Gawande - what does he say about the "career changer"?

A former orthopedic surgeon (who was sued twice frivolously & once for a real error) explains how he needs to see around 100 potential clients to find a case worth taking. Some of the criteria he looks for are a plaintiff who meshes well with the social/cultural characteristics of the area (so jurors identify with them) as well as the potential for a 7 figure payout. He rationalizes what he does by saying insurance & lawsuits are simply a doctor's cost of doing business.

 

[DrDre311]

A former orthopedic surgeon (who was sued twice frivolously & once for a real error) explains how he needs to see around 100 potential clients to find a case worth taking. Some of the criteria he looks for are a plaintiff who meshes well with the social/cultural characteristics of the area (so jurors identify with them) as well as the potential for a 7 figure payout. He rationalizes what he does by saying insurance & lawsuits are simply a doctor's cost of doing business.

I guess doctors don't have other "costs of doing business" like paying for office space, office equipment, hiring administrative personnel, hiring nurses, benefits packages for employees, buying/renting medical equipment, buying medical/surgical supplies, paying for OR time, taking call at a hospital to have OR privileges there, etc. I'm sure I'm leaving stuff off too.

Lawsuits and med-mal insurance are a doc's "cost of doing business" like paying "protection money" to the Mafia is the "cost of doing business" in "The Godfather."

 

[Castro Viejo]

He claimed that he got "tired" of the "24 hour shifts" in the ER. And that med-mal was more mentally stimulating than medicine. Ugh. He's such a little bastard. He also had the audacity to claim that he still has a lot of doctor friends...who are still so friendly with him that they're willing to testify as expert witnesses for him! Ugh, ugh, ugh.

Just like a damn ER doc... Always resorting to the consultants to do his work for him, even when he's not "working" in the ER anymore!