Health Law

Doctors and Addiction: Many professionals have this problem

From an awareness point of view I would want to know this before I got treatment.

SACRAMENTO, California (CNN) -- A woman who says she had to forgo cancer treatment because of botched surgery by a California doctor says she was never made aware the doctor was being treated for alcoholism and had been convicted for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Becky Anderson received a breast reconstruction from Dr. Brian West, a California plastic surgeon, in September 2000. Becky, who was suffering from breast cancer, says she had to forgo cancer treatment while battling complications from West's surgery.

Now she is dying of cancer. She had no idea when she let West treat her that he had been convicted for driving under the influence in 1987 and had been arrested for a second DUI, for which he was later convicted, while on the way to treat her.

She claims he lied about the DUI, blaming a missed appointment with her on a car accident. She sued the doctor for negligence and malpractice. He never admitted fault, but settled with her for $250,000.

Source:  CNN.com:  Doctor's and Addictions

Full post as published by Cerebral Palsy Law Blog on April 03, 2008 (boomark / email).