Abstract
Hippocrates once admonished his physicians to “first, do no harm.” But today a doctor who merely fulfills that prologue to the “Healers Oath” will not be immune to a malpractice suit. Nor will the plea that he did not depart from accepted medical standards of care guarantee a defendant’s verdict. In an age where there are instant-paid professional experts eager to take the stand, much more is required than merely proof of good medicine. Although there are many meritorious cases that should be compensated, today’s doctors must fight an uphill battle against the natural sympathy engendered by the injured plaintiff (patient).
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References
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For example: Breach of contract: Ancolte Manor Found v. Wilkinson, 263 So.2d 256 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1972) (breach of confidentiality); intentional tort: e.g., Gonzalez v. State, 121 Misc.2d 210, 467 N.Y.S.2d 538 (Ct. CI. 1983) (false imprisonment claim).
70 CJS Physicians & Surgeons §41 (1987).
See, Psychiatrist Malpractice, supra, note 5, at p. 53.
See also, AC Corcoran, A Mirror Up to Medicine, NY, J.D. Lippincott, which credits the “Technique of the House Call” to Archimacheus of Salerno in the 12th century.
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© 1989 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.
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Dicker, H., Robertson, J.D. (1989). The Defense of a Malpractice Case. In: Vevaina, J.R., Bone, R.C., Kassoff, E. (eds) Legal Aspects of Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4534-6_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4534-6_3
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