“This illustrates how little physicians understand about what goes on in a courtroom.” That was overheard in one of the discussions below. That is true. I know squat about the law – which is why I practice medicine. When discussing screening panels for malpractice cases, the same should be true for lawyers and judges. They should have no more authority when discussing medicine than I do discussing law.
That is why screening panels that consist solely of a judge is ridiculous. This is not about arrogance or a God-complex. It’s about common sense.
Related posts:
- Health courts redux
- My take: Carrot > stick, the pandering NEJM, retail clinics
- Texas malpractice caps: Readers react
- Death of common sense
- Why health care is expensive
- More on why health courts make sense
- What is biggest problem facing American Medicine?
KevinMD.com on Facebook
{ 2 comments }
Sorry, doc, it is about your preening, absurd arrogance. Courts must find facts about virtually everything in society–including highly technical, difficult areas in which professionals disagree–from mechanical engineering and pharmacology in product liability cases to statistics in employment discrimination cases and corporate finance in securities fraud. We don’t require experts to assist judges in these highly technical matters–why are doctors different?
Ah, yes, back to their extraordinary, preening arrogance.
Yes, judges and even jurists are asked for decisions on cases ranging from liver failure to rocket science. In many cases, they are almost clueless but deliver verdicts that transfer millions of dollars. And lawyers always get their share. It’s the system we have.
Comments on this entry are closed.