Doctors and the Law

Terror blended with rage is the natural and inevitable reaction of any healthcare professional suddenly facing a malpractice claim. Even a doctor merely testifying as an ordinary witness or expert, can undergo acute feelings of uncertainty as to role and performance. This book is designed to educate, soothe, and encourage anyone entering the stormy seas of litigation. The authors of Doctors and the Law share the wisdom of an unlikely pair of friends: one a retired Justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court, the other a Surgeon/Urologist and Emeritus Professor. Hon. Hiller B. Zobel and Stephen N. Rous, MD have maintained a decades-long friendship while simultaneously pursuing their independent professional paths. In 1993, they first teamed up to produce the original version of this book in an effort to help inform and guide clinicians who find themselves needing to navigate the unfamiliar waters of the legal system. This second edition, provides similar material and incorporates current day challenges presented by the now ubiquitous presence of social media, mobile devices, and electronic health records. Their combined perspectives and anecdotal approach to the subject matter, make this book an essential read for anyone who finds themselves embroiled in a legal situation, or is simply interested in learning an insider’s perspective of the inner workings of our justice system.