Source: https://www.gilmanbedigian.com/massachusetts-medical-malpractice-laws
Timestamp: 2020-07-09 01:50:34
Document Index: 5179087

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 4', '§ 60', '§ 187', '§ 85', '§ 60', '§ 702', '§ 4', '§ 60', '§ 29']

Massachusetts Medical Malpractice Laws | Gilman & Bedigian
If you are thinking of pursuing a claim of medical malpractice, it is likely that you have suffered a significant injury at the hands of your health care provider. This type of litigation can be incredibly nuanced, the complexities of which require skilled and experienced legal counsel. If you or a loved one has been a victim of medical malpractice, you have a specified time period in which you are able to bring a claim. If you fail to file a claim within that timeframe, it is quite possible that you will not be able to do so at any point and you will not be permitted to recover for your pain and suffering. This page is intended to provide a brief overview of what you may expect if you are pursuing a medical malpractice claim in Massachusetts; however, the best course of action to take if you are considering doing so is to consult with an experienced medical malpractice attorney licensed in Massachusetts. An experienced attorney will be able to guide you through the specifics of the laws that are more finely tuned with the details of your medical malpractice claim and explore whether your claim has the requisite merit to be filed in court.
Suing for Medical Malpractice in Massachusetts
In Massachusetts, a medical malpractice case may be brought by an injured patient against any licensed health care provider, including a medical doctor, nurse, physical therapist, and mental health care professional. The law in Massachusetts places a set time period for which a medical malpractice claim may be filed. If named as a defendant in a medical malpractice case, the law in Massachusetts allows the defense of modified comparative negligence to be used which allows a damage award to be reduced in proportion to the percentage of fault assigned by a court.
When it comes to medical malpractice claims, many cases settle out of court prior to the case advancing to the trial stage of litigation. Massachusetts places a limit on damages that may be awarded to a plaintiff in a medical malpractice case.
How long do I have to file a medical malpractice case in Massachusetts?
The first step in bringing a claim for medical malpractice against a healthcare provider is making certain that you are permitted to do so. The law in Massachusetts mandates that an action for personal injury must be filed within three years from the date the cause of action accrues. [1] This time limitation is known as the “statute of limitations” which refers to the period from the time an injury occurs or is discovered to the final date on which a medical malpractice lawsuit can be filed. If you decide to bring an action after the statute of limitations have passed, a court can dismiss your case and you will be left with no other legal option to pursue justice. The reason behind placing a time limitation on when you may file a medical malpractice claim is based on the notion that a court is interested in credible evidence in order to establish a cause of action. As time passes, it is possible that the crucial evidence that would initially aid your case would become less compelling, making your case all the more difficult to prove.
It is important to note that Massachusetts law states that the statute of limitations clock does not begin to run until your injury has been, or should have been, discovered. This rule is known as the “discovery rule.” Once you discover or should have discovered, your injury, the two-year window to file your lawsuit begins. However, you may not bring an action for medical malpractice more than three years from the time date that the alleged malpractice took place, regardless of when you actually discovered your injury.
If the injured party was a minor child under the age of six years old, the law allows the medical practice claim to be filed any time prior to the child reaching nine years of age. [2]
In Massachusetts Medical Malpractice Cases, who is Responsible?
In Massachusetts, you may bring a medical malpractice lawsuit for an injury you suffered against a licensed healthcare provider based upon their negligence, misconduct, errors or omissions.
Those that can be held responsible due to being included in the definition of a “health care provider” include a person, corporation, facility or institution licensed by the commonwealth to provide health care or professional services as a physician, hospital, clinic or nursing home, dentist, registered or licensed nurse, optometrist, podiatrist, chiropractor, physical therapist, psychologist, social worker, or acupuncturist, or an officer, employee or agent thereof acting in the course and scope of his employment. [3]
When bringing a medical malpractice claim against a healthcare provider, the burden of proof rests with you and you must prove by the preponderance of the evidence that the alleged actions of the health care provider represented a breach of the prevailing professional standard of care for that health care provider. The prevailing professional standard of care for a health care provider is the level of care, skill, and treatment which, in light of all relevant surrounding circumstances, is recognized as acceptable and appropriate by reasonably prudent similar health care providers.
What if I am partially to blame? Can I Still Recover Money for Massachusetts Medical Malpractice?
Massachusetts, along with 32 other states recognizes the doctrine of modified comparative fault. The doctrine allows a court to assign a percentage of blame to each party involved in the lawsuit and any damage award is reduced in proportion to your apportioned fault. Of the 33 states that follow a modified version of comparative fault, Massachusetts is one of 22 states (Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming) that follow a 51% rule where you are only able to recover damages for an injury if a court determines that your apportionment of fault for your own injury is 50% or less. [4] In other words, if you wish to recover a monetary award for your injury, you must not have contributed more to the injury that the health care provider that you are suing.
Some states do not adhere to a modified form of comparative fault and instead follow a doctrine of pure comparative fault where a plaintiff is able to recover for damages even if they are found to have been 99% at fault for their injury. An argument against the adoption of pure comparative fault is that it is contrary to the nature and purpose of the legal system to allow a plaintiff who has substantially contributed to their own injury to recover damages for any portion of their loss. This is a reason why Massachusetts decided to adopt a modified system.
Are there medical malpractice recovery caps in Massachusetts?
If you are ultimately successful in your medical malpractice claim, you will be awarded damages in accordance with the doctrine of comparative fault. The term “damages” is synonymous with a monetary award which is used to compensate the plaintiff for the injuries they sustained as a result of the plaintiff's negligence. There are two types of damage awards you may receive in Massachusetts:
The law in Massachusetts limits the amount of non-economic damages that you may be awarded to no more than $500,000. However, if you suffered a substantial or permanent loss of a bodily function or physical disfigurement as a result of the medical malpractice, the $500,000 damage cap is lifted. [5]
Punitive Damages are different from compensatory damages in that they are intended to punish the defendant rather than provide compensation to you. In Massachusetts, punitive damages are only permitted if granted by statute. Claims of medical malpractice qualify for punitive damage awards if it can be proven that the defendant's conduct was outrageous due to a reckless indifference to your rights or the rights of others.
A witness will be considered to qualify as an expert if:
(d) the expert has reliably applied the principles and methods to the facts of the case. [6]
In Massachusetts, the law provides immunity from litigation to public employees. This means that if a public employee committed professional negligence, the only way you can recover for your injury is to bring a claim against the state. To bring a claim against the state, you must provide notice of your claim in writing within two years of the negligence occurring. [7]
If your claim against the state is successful, your damages are limited to $100,000.
Settling medical malpractice cases in Massachusetts
Many medical malpractice cases settle out of court. For this reason, many states have enacted laws that require some type of mandatory pretrial mediation or screening panel and Massachusetts is no different.
Every medical malpractice lawsuit filed in the state of Massachusetts must be reviewed by a tribunal. The tribunal is required to be made up of a single justice of the superior court, a physician licensed to practice medicine in the commonwealth, and an attorney authorized to practice law in the commonwealth. [8]
The tribunal proceeding is required to take place within 15 days after the defendant's answer has been filed with the court. Once the tribunal convenes, it is the responsibility of the plaintiff to present proof that the medical malpractice occurred. The tribunal will then determine if the offered evidence is sufficient enough to raise a legitimate question of liability appropriate enough to reach trial. If the tribunal finds for the defendant, it does not necessarily mean that the plaintiff's case is stopped in its tracks. The plaintiff may continue to push their claim to the trial stage of litigation if a $6,000 bond is filed with the clerk of the court.
Litigating medical negligence cases in Massachusetts
A claim for medical malpractice in Massachusetts is initiated by preparing a Complaint that must be served on the named defendants in your case. The defendant is then required to file a document that is called the Answer which provides responses to the allegations you made in the Complaint and will also list the affirmative defenses that will be used.
If the parties to a medical malpractice lawsuit are unable to reach a settlement, the claim will proceed to civil court. In Massachusetts, a civil action begins by filing a Complaint with the clerk of the court. A Complaint should include:
A civil Summons is also required and notifies the court and the defendant that you are filing a lawsuit. The Summons must be signed by the clerk of the court and must then, along with the Complaint, be delivered to all named defendants in the lawsuit. After being properly served with the Complaint and civil Summons, all of the named defendants must file an Answer within 20 days. [9]
Requests for admission [10]
The law in Massachusetts does not require the parties attend a form of alternative dispute resolution like arbitration or mediation but it does require all of the involved parties to appear before a tribunal that will hear the presented evidence and determine whether your claim has merit or if it is frivolous.
During a trial, all admissible evidence will be presented to the 'trier of fact' who is a person or group of people who hear testimony and review evidence in order to issue a ruling in favor of one party or another. There are two potential triers of fact in a personal injury case in the state of Massachusetts: a judge or a jury. In Massachusetts, the parties may stipulate that the jury shall consist of any number less than twelve, or less than six in the District Court, or that a verdict or a finding of a stated majority of the jurors shall be taken as the verdict or finding of the jury. [11]
To choose a jury, a procedure known as “voir dire” is conducted whereby attorneys ask potential jurors questions in order to determine what biases the panel members may have in favor or against the cast being brought before the court. Once this process is completed, both sides will decide what parties they would like to remove from juror consideration. The law in Massachusetts allows each side to have four peremptory challenges where jurors may be eliminated from consideration. [12] Once each side finishes announcing the parties they wish to have removed, the jury is impaneled.
In Massachusetts, a person is considered to be qualified to be a juror if they are:
a resident of Massachusetts for more than 50% of the year
Many times the losing side in a medical malpractice case will opt to appeal a decision from the lower court. An appeal is a legal proceeding which allows a higher court to review the decision rendered by a lower court. Most appeals taking place in Massachusetts must be filed within 30 days from notice of the judgment or decision. [13]
How to find the best Massachusetts Medical Malpractice Lawyer for your case
Some notable medical malpractice law decisions from Massachusetts
These cases represent awards to plaintiffs in medical malpractice cases in Massachusetts. These results are in no way a guarantee that subsequent, similar, cases will see the same results.
The plaintiff, Andrea Larkin, was admitted to Dedham Medical after having experienced dizzy spells after running the Boston Marathon. An MRI and a CAT scan were performed by Dr. Jehane Johnston and the results showed brain abnormalities, which meant the doctor was required to place the plaintiff on a special list of patients with certain medical conditions that other doctors can access.
However, the plaintiff was not placed on the list and when she later became pregnant, her obstetrician was not aware of her brain issues as a result. When it came time to give birth, the plaintiff became paralyzed from a stroke that she suffered a few hours after delivery.
Following the birth of her child, the plaintiff spent a total of 18 months in hospitals and rehabilitation programs.
The plaintiff filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against Dedham Medical Associates and Dr. Jehane Johnston. The plaintiff argued in court that had Dr. Johnston placed her on the medical condition list, a caesarean section would have been ordered when she gave birth which would have prevented her stroke. She claimed roughly $4 million in damages for medical costs and further sought damages for future medical costs/life care plan, her total lost wages, and pain and suffering.
The defense claimed that the pregnancy itself, not pushing, caused the plaintiff's stroke.
The jury agreed with the plaintiff and awarded $35.4 million in damages.
Price-Brown v. Ambrus
Eric Price underwent a tonsil procedure to correct a case of sleep apnea. However, Mr. Price died a few days after Dr. Peter Ambrus performed the tonsillectomy due to heavy bleeding. Mr. Price's wife subsequently filed a wrongful death lawsuit.
The plaintiff's lawsuit alleged that Dr. Ambrus provided poor advice in recommending that Mr. Price undergo the surgical procedure since his sleep apnea was mild in nature and other, safer, procedures were available to correct the condition.
At trial, the defense claimed that adults have bigger arteries and vessels than children, making tonsillectomy procedures riskier for adults. However, both children and adults are at risk of complications and injuries, such as excessive bleeding, surgical burns, airway fire injuries, and tissue injuries.
After deliberation, the jury awarded the plaintiff $13 million in damages.
[1] Mass Ann. Laws ch. 260 § 4
[2] Mass. Ann. Laws ch. 231, § 60D
[3] Mass. Ann. Laws ch. 149, § 187(a)
[4] Mass. Ann. Laws ch. 231, § 85
[5] Mass. Ann. Laws ch. 231, § 60H
[6] Massachusetts Guide to Evidence Article VII, § 702
[7] Mass. Ann. Laws ch. 258, § 4
[8] Mass. Ann. Laws ch. 231, § 60(B)
[9] Mass Civil Procedure Rule 12
[10] Mass Civil Procedure Rule 26
[11] Mass Civil Procedure Rule 48
[12] The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Chapter 234 § 29
[13] Appellate Procedure Rule 4(a)