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guest post by Mike Pringle
The Boston Globe today (December 11, 2007) reported out on a precedent setting legal battle that the Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court ruled is likely to broaden the liability challenges that physicians already face.
A 10-year-old boy standing on a sidewalk with his friend was struck and killed by a moving vehicle when the driver passed out on March 22nd 2002. The court ruled that the mother of the boy can sue the physician who prescribed a number of medications to the driver that could cause drowsiness as a side effect.
Justice Roderick L. Ireland who presided over the case equated…”that the actions of a doctor who fails to warn a patient about a drug’s side effect that could endanger others to a bartender who serves an intoxicated customer”.
The ramifications, both potential and real, of this type of ruling are far reaching. Certainly responsibility needs to rest with someone for this and similar type tragedies, however I think pointing the smoking gun at healthcare providers is not the way to adjudicate this type of event. My bias is simply this, if you are impaired from alcohol, lack of sleep, or medications and driving a vehicle it should be considered a “DUI”. Massachusetts is likely opening Pandora’s Box on this one.
What do you think?
Safety TipHospital facilities built today do not include asbestos, but many older buildings still have asbestos components in them. Steam pipes, boilers and furnace ducts were often insulated with an asbestos blanket or asbestos paper tape because of their fireproof and insulating properties. Resilient floor tiles were made from vinyl asbestos. Asbestos cement was employed in roofing, shingles and siding materials. The hazard of this carcinogen increases when the fibers become airborne, and untrained contractors can inadvertently increase risks by cutting, tearing, sawing, scraping, or sanding asbestos materials. Elevated asbestos levels can occur in hospitals where old materials are damaged or disturbed. It is best to leave undamaged asbestos material alone if it is not likely to be disturbed. Inhaling asbestos fibers is known to cause mesothelioma and other diseases. Be sure to use an experienced asbestos removal contractor when you need to get rid of old materials that might contain asbestos. |