Maybe.
Joe Jurevicius is a former Cleveland Browns wide receiver who contracted an MRSA infection while playing for the team. He has had multiple procedures to clean out the infection, and this past March, the Browns terminated his contract.
Jeffrey Parks, also known as Buckeye Surgeon, has been keeping a close eye on the case. He writes that the case isn’t necessarily about negligence, but instead, “what it represents is the known discordance between poor medical outcomes and the likelihood of the doctor being sued,” and that, “if the patient feels her doctor is lying or withholding information or otherwise betraying the trust that serves as the foundation of the relationship, then she is more apt to seek justice in a courtroom.”
He surmises that the secretive and antagonistic stance by the Browns was a major reason why Mr. Jurevicius decided to sue.
And he may have a point. It’s been well reported that a recent University of Michgan study showed that “admitting mistakes up front and offering compensation before being sued have brought about remarkable savings in money, time and feelings.” Despite the fact, as primary care doctor Rob Lamberts points out, that “it isn’t easy to admit fault, no matter how accepting you know the other person will be,” a more conciliatory tone by the Browns may have prevented legal action.
