Medical Justice Blog

The information presented on this site is for general educational purposes only. It is not specific medical or legal advice. Nothing on this site should be construed as establishing a doctor-patient or attorney-client relationship.

Who Answers the Phone at Your Medical Office Matters—A Lot

Who Answers the Phone at Your Medical Office Matters—A Lot

Hell hath no fury like a dental patient scorned.   One recent news flash:  A woman in Lincoln County accused of slashing tires on 18 vehicles outside a dentist’s office has been arrested and charged, Lincolnton Police confirmed with Queen City News on Tuesday.  Officers responded … Read more

Hulk Hogan sues for $50M. WWF or WTF?

Professional wrestler Hulk Hogan — whose actual name is Terry Bollea — is reportedly suing his spine surgeon / spine surgery center (Laser Spine) for $50 million, His suit argues the outpatient spine surgery chain “did unnecessary surgeries that damaged his career.” In Florida, the … Read more
Medical Justice

The Futility of Suing a Patient for Defamation

Proving defamation is hard. To prevail, you must demonstrate someone (a) made a false statement; (b) to another; and (c) that false statement damaged your reputation. Truth is a defense to a charge of defamation. And statements of opinion don’t count. An example of a … Read more
Medical Justice

Doctor’s Handwritten Letter to Patient’s Family Goes Viral

A doctor’s hand-written (and yes, legible) letter to his patient’s husband was shared on the Internet and viewed over 2 million times. It speaks for itself. Dear Mr. (removed), I am the Emergency Medicine physician who treated your wife Mrs (removed) last Sunday in the … Read more
Medical Justice

Medical Justice Applauds Georgia Plan to Replace Medical Tort System

For Immediate Release: Medical Justice today endorsed the “Patient Injury Act,” a proposal introduced in the Georgia Senate to replace the state’s broken medical malpractice system with a no-blame, administrative model that will fairly compensate patients and decrease the practice of defensive medicine. The “Patient … Read more
Medical Justice

Notes from a Plaintiff’s Attorney: High-low agreements – what they are and how to make them work for you

By Dr. JD, a plaintiff’s attorney, practicing in the Northeast High-low agreements are a unique type of settlement mechanism. Unlike settlements that avoid trials, these are settlements that are contingent on the result of a trial. High-low agreements are pre-verdict arrangements that set an alternate … Read more
Medical Justice

Lawsuits in Aurora Massacre Begin

One psychiatrist on a physician blog site recently wrote: “If you’re a shrink and your patient kills someone, be prepared for being sued for your defective clairvoyance…. What we do is this: we help patients who come to us and want to be helped. We … Read more
Medical Justice

Notes from a Plaintiff’s Attorney: The “captain of the ship” doctrine in the modern medical world

By Dr. JD, a plaintiff’s attorney, practicing in the Northeast   We continue our series of articles penned by one attorney, an MD, JD, giving you a view of the world through a malpractice plaintiff attorney’s eyes. This attorney is a seasoned veteran. The series … Read more
Medical Justice

Med Mal Plaintiff’s Attorneys: For Justice or For Money

A provocative article caught my eye recently. Justice in Crisis: Victim Access to the American Liability System. The author, Joanna Shepherd, is an Associate Professor of Law at Emory. The question she intended to answer was simple. What amount in damages must a medical malpractice … Read more
Medical Justice

Big Changes in Off-Label Prescribing Rules

Physicians are permitted to prescribe drugs off-label. By off-label, I really mean “silent label.” Silent label implies the manufacturer has not received FA approval to market the drug as safe and effective for treating the off-label condition.   An example: some antibiotics have been approved … Read more
Medical Justice

Time to Rip Up Non-Compete Agreements?

Doctors frequently sign non-compete agreements. And every state treats them differently. In California, for example, most are unenforceable. In North Carolina, on the other hand, if the agreement is not unduly restrictive, it is upheld.   As doctors sells their practices to healthcare systems, this … Read more
Medical Justice