Personal Injury Law

Doctor-addicts continue to treat patients

By Steven M. Levin and John J. Perconti

CNN recently highlighted the danger that addicted doctors are still treating patients. One patient says she had to forgo cancer treatment because of a botched surgery by a doctor who was in treatment for alcoholism and had been convicted for driving under the influence of alcohol. She had to forgo cancer treatment while battling complications from the medical malpractice. Now she is dying of cancer. She sued the doctor in a medical malpractice lawsuit. While he did not admit fault, he settled with her for $250,000.

A study by the Federation of State Physician Health Programs found about one percent of all physicians practicing in the U.S. are in confidential treatment. That?s about 8,000 doctors whose patients may have no idea that they are addicts. This brings us back to the importance of researching your doctor!

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Full post as published by Illinois Medical Malpractice Blog on April 12, 2008 (boomark / email).