Purportedly to combat the growing problem of frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits, the Massachusetts legislature passed a law (codified at Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 231, § 60B) several years ago, requiring the plaintiff in a medical negligence case to submit an “offer of proof” to a three-member reviewing tribunal after filing a formal lawsuit against a…
Continue reading ›When a litigant who is unsatisfied with a trial court’s ruling files an appeal, the burden is on that appellant to convince the higher court that a mistake was made in the court below. This can be a difficult task, especially when one of the grounds for the appeal is the alleged bias or favor…
Continue reading ›In order to seek compensation from a person or business for injuries caused by negligence, the aggrieved party must file suit within the applicable statute of limitations. In Massachusetts, the limitations period for medical malpractice is three years. In cases in which a statute of repose is also in effect, the plaintiff must also file…
Continue reading ›Under Massachusetts law, a person who alleges that his or her physician committed an act of medical negligence must submit an offer of proof to a medical malpractice tribunal in order for his or her lawsuit to move forward. If the tribunal decides that there is not sufficient evidence to support the plaintiff’s claim, the…
Continue reading ›About a year ago, we shared with you a Massachusetts Court of Appeals decision in a malpractice case in which the issue was whether or not suit had been filed within the three-year statute of limitations set forth under Massachusetts law. The intermediate appellate court decided that the case was timely filed under the continuing…
Continue reading ›Most people understand that there are statutes of limitations that govern the time that an injured person has to bring a claim in a court of law. There are numerous other issues of timeliness, however, of which the general public may be less aware. One of those issues – the notice period for a medical…
Continue reading ›Just as a negligent driver can be held liable in a court of law for damages resulting from the breach of a legal duty while driving a motor vehicle, so can a medical professional be held liable for a failure to uphold the applicable standard of care due a patient during the diagnosis or treatment…
Continue reading ›All personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits arising from negligence require proof of four essential elements. The defendant must have owed the plaintiff a duty, the defendant must have breached the duty, the plaintiff must have suffered damages, and the damages must have been the proximate result of the breached duty. In some cases, particularly…
Continue reading ›A recent jury verdict returned in a medical negligence case tried in the Hampden Superior Court is making headlines across the state. According to media reports, the family of a girl, now 11, who was allegedly injured due to negligent medical treatment during her birth, sued six doctors who were involved in the mother’s obstetrical…
Continue reading ›Under Massachusetts law, a competent adult has a legal right to forgo medical treatment if he or she so chooses. Of course, being able to exercise this right necessitates that a patient have knowledge of the options of treatment available to him or her, as well as the potential risks of each. A physician’s failure…
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