State Issues 1601 N. Tucson Blvd.
All medical treatments carry risks.
It is the duty of the physician to advise each patient of the risks and benefits of any medical intervention, with reference to his or her individual circumstances. The patient, or the patient's guardian in the case of a minor, has the responsibility of making the decision. Only in rare circumstances may this decision be overridden. Such circumstances require the intervention of an unbiased court, and the State carries a burden of proof. A physician who subjects a patient to a treatment without informed consent, in the absence of a court order, commits assault and battery.