Once again, we are confronted with the fact that there are repeat offenders practicing medicine.
As we always do, during our investigation, we go online to the New Jersey State Board of Medical examiners web site and check the credentials of physicians who may be potential defendants or who are defendants in malpractice cases where we represent patients. The physicians do not always report that information in their profile but there are times when hospitals are required to report corrective action. The defendant’s attorneys are also required to provide us with this information, but like their clients, they don’t always comply with the rules so we check as well.
We also speak with other plaintiff’s attorneys around the state to see if they have any information about the healthcare providers involved in our case.
In one such case, as our routine, we checked the defendant’s physician profile. Our review found nothing out of the ordinary.
When we checked for a second time some months later and found that the surgeon had has his privileges suspended as a direct result of the surgery that he performed on our client who died during surgery. This came as no surprise considering how egregious the malpractice was.
However, despite the circumstances surrounding the death our client, the patient, when we checked his profile a third time, we found that his privileges had been reinstated.
Months passed and we checked for a fourth time, and we found that this surgeon was another repeat offender, as the website stated that his privileges had been revoked for a second time. If what led to second suspension is similar to what led to the first one, then there might have been another tragic and potentially avoidable death of a patient.
Advice: DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE. CHECK THE CREDENTIALS OF YOUR PHYSICIAN PRIOR TO ALLOWING HIM/HER TO PROVIDE CARE.
