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<b><i>Cases Built on Anger</i></b> Million-dollar medical malpractice verdicts have doubled since 1996. They now make up 8% of all malpractice claims actually paid. This, at the same time that verdicts for the defense remain the norm and the number of lawsuit filings has actually fallen somewhat. Why? The quick - and partially correct - answer is that the cost of health care has skyrocketed.

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Does a patient lose the right to invoke the physician/patient privilege when he or she has seen a physician for an independent medial examination (IME) rather than for treatment? The question may come up in the aftermath of a workers' compensation or medical malpractice case if questions of possible fraud on the claimant's part surface, and you may be asked to advise your client as to his or her rights.

Any physician who has had the unfortunate experience of being the target of a medical malpractice lawsuit bemoans the attention paid by the plaintiff's lawyers to precise record keeping. Most physicians pride themselves on their medical skills, not their neat note taking. They will tell you that entries in a medical record are meant to enhance the care and treatment rendered to a patient, not to be read by lawyers or juries many years later.

The exclusive remedy for patients injured due to medical malpractice by federal employees acting within the scope of their employment is through the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). Under the FTCA, the United States allows claims to be made against it in certain circumstances. However, because the FTCA is a waiver of sovereign immunity, strict compliance with the requirements for filing is necessary in order to preserve your clients' rights to recovery.