Abstract
The threat of being sued for malpractice exerts a relatively consistent and powerful influence on every physician. No matter how it is resolved, a malpractice suit is a substantial source of punishment for the doctor. It is always time-consuming. If the doctor feels he has done no wrong, there is no way he can avoid powerful feelings of anger toward the plaintiff and the plaintiff’s attorney. If he feels that he may have done wrong, he must deal with painful feelings of self-recrimination. Malpractice suits may drag on for years. During this time the physician will be haunted by the possibility of an adverse judgment that might result in loss of professional prestige, higher liability insurance premiums, cancellation of insurance, legal fees not covered by insurance, or even a financially devastating judgment in excess of insurance coverage.
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© 1980 Plenum Publishing Corporation
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Halleck, S.L. (1980). Medical Malpractice Law and the Psychiatrist. In: Law in the Practice of Psychiatry. Critical Issues in Psychiatry. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-7893-8_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-7893-8_2
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