Opinion ID: 1133601
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Harrison v. Long

Text: In Harrison v. Long, 241 Kan. 174, a medical malpractice action was filed against Dr. Long. After investigating the medical malpractice claim against Dr. Long, Dr. Long's insurance carrier, St. Paul, determined to settle its liability rather than defend the claim against Dr. Long. St. Paul notified the Fund of its decision. The Fund and the claimant then entered into negotiations and reached a settlement. The settlement was approved by the Sherman County District Court over Dr. Long's objections. Dr. Long filed a motion for relief from the judgment contending that part of the Act, which allows the Fund to settle actions over the objections of the defendant physician, is unconstitutional. The district court found the Act constitutional. Dr. Long appealed. The Fund was allowed to intervene in the appeal. The Long court found that under the procedural framework of the Act, a health care provider is given the opportunity to represent his interests to the court at the settlement hearing, thus maintaining his procedural due process rights under the Act. It noted that St. Paul and the Fund settled the claim against the physician without any personal liability to Dr. Long. It determined that Dr. Long had no right to complain that the action was settled because the State had a significant overriding countervailing interest. The Long court concluded that the provisions of the Act, K.S.A. 40-3401 et seq. (Ensley 1981), did not deprive a health care provider of a property right, i.e., the right to defend an action, or a due process right. The Long court determined that a health care provider has no constitutionally protected right to require that a plaintiff's action continue for the sole purpose of allowing the health care provider to vindicate himself or herself.