The Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1852-1853, 1853-11-02
Foolish shLaw-Suits---NIai-Practice,

Eoo1hn 1Cs---mai-tractlce.
We have often Thoughts. viii attending
different sessions OF Court, that a large
number Of foolish lawsuits we're tlied and
generally the most foolish of these, were
those for malpractice. II may be that in
some cases these lawsuits for mal:practice
are correct and right, but as general thing
they are brought through ignorance, the
hope of getting a large fee, and Talice-
ignorance on the part of the plaintiffs in
such cases in regard to the law; lawyers
urging the plaintiffs to bring them, with the
hope that If they are successful, they VIII
obtain large fee for their services; and
malice on the part Of certain physicians who
urge the plaintiffs to take them up to court,
and if successful, they will have an oppor-
tunity ofinjuring their fellow physician.
t Our mind has been directed to this sub
ject by a recent case which has been tried
during the last session Of the court of Com
mon Pleas in this county. We refer to that
of George w. Jewell, vs. Drs. VIM & Thom.
as Smith, of Moorefeld. This case was one
of those that we have mentioned above. 1t
was brought by the plaintiff who was per
fectly ignorant of what the law was in such
cases; and he was urged to try it by certain
lawyers. who thought that if Mr.. Jewell
gained the case, they would obtain a large
fee for their services; and he was still fur
ther urged 70 bring it by certain PHI scans
who had a personal pique at Drs. Smith,
and thought that if Mr.. Jewell succeeded
they would have an opportunity of trying to
injure their fellow physicians, Drs. VIM. q
Thomas Smith. ..-1 t.l. -aa
The case we have alluded to was this
This George W. Jewell some three or four
years since, (before he was of age, met
with very serious accident, by which he
injured the lower part of his arm. He ap-
Piled to Qrs. Smith for relief They told
him that they did not wish to have any
thing to do with the case unless he would
have physician brought from Cadiz, in
order to have consultation over it. This
we believe was done. The arm got better,
but Mr.. Jewell through imprudence REIN
jured it, and after remaining in that stua-
ton for some time, it had 10 be cut off; and
he is now laboring under the sad misfortune
of having only one arm. ... ...--....... ...
After this was done, certain legal gentle
men thought that this would be a capital
cAance to get large fee for their services,
and they, with certain physicians urged Mr.
Jewell to bring it into court. The case was
tried, and Drs. Smith were acquitted of any
malpractice in the case, as they should have
been; and now MIR. Jewell is left in the very
disagreeable situation of only having one
arm, and Of paying very large cost bill;
while those legal gentlemen who urged him
to bring it, will have the satisfaction of know
ing thatthey will get nothing for their troub-
le; and those physicians who have malice
against DIS. Smith, will not have an oppor-
tunity of injuring them on that score.
We have written the above for the pur-
pose of doing our part in trying to put a
stop to great nuisance; we mean that of
foolish lawsuits for NAL practice. We have
no desi,e to build up or help Drs. Smith, but
we wish to..warn persons who are laboring
under the same misfortunes that Mr.. Jewell
is, to be careuk how they come into court
with their case. If they will only reflect
before they do SO, they will find that what
we have said in the former part of this ar
ticle, is the real cause for urging them to
bring their case, ignorance Of the law on
their part; some lawyer urging them to do
it with the hope of getting big fee for their
services; and the malice that physicians
have against one another.
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