Damage awards in litigation against physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare providers have been coming in bigger and bigger, with juries awarding more than $20 million in a string of cases that should send chills down the spines of defendants and counsel.
What are the factors behind this trend? Besides the severe (or even alarming) nature of the harm alleged, what is fueling these mega verdicts? What can defense attorneys do, knowing they are facing a well-organized, well-funded plaintiffs bar? For that matter, what can defense attorneys learn from their opponents? What strategies can defense employ early in the life of a case?
Joining me to discuss this high-stakes litigation is Sandra M. Cianflone of Hall Booth Smith, P.C.Sandiecounsels and defends hospitals, physicians, nurses and institutional employees in a broad spectrum of catastrophic injury and medical malpractice cases. She received her Juris Doctorate from Pace University School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
This podcast is the audio companion to the Journal on Emerging Issues in Litigation, a collaborative project between HB Litigation Conferences and the Fastcase legal research family, which includes Full Court Press, Law Street Media,
Docket Alarm and, most recently, Judicata. If you have comments or wish
to participate in one our projects, or want to tell me how insightful
and informative Sandie is, please drop me a note at Editor@LitigationConferences.com. This podcast is based on an article she wrote for the forthcoming issues of the Journal.
Note
that in my introduction I have created the phrase “badly wrong,” which
is, itself, badly wrong. Listen to the bitter end when Sandie and I
discuss working from home, and how we really feel about family and
co-workers. Feel free to scold me at the email address provided. I hope
you enjoy the interview and this professional’s practical insights into
defending healthcare providers.
Tom Hagy