Pro sport physicians claim that fear of malpractice suits make it harder for them to practice medicine.
Former Chicago Bears running back Merril Hoge was awarded a $1.55 million jury verdict after suing Bears team physician Dr. John Munsell, according to the New York Times. He suffered a concussion, as is common in pro football, but blamed the doctor for mistreatment that led to more serious injuries.
Merril Hoge's Chicago accident attorney may have done wonders for his client, but critics say an uptick in malpractice suits are driving qualified physicians away from the once-prestigious job.
In fact, a whole slew of concussion-related lawsuits are being filed against team doctors of professional football teams. In many of the cases, though, the doctors claim they often warn against playing in games or practicing until after symptoms have cleared.
Dr. Saurabh Mangalik, physician for the Colorado Crush arena football team, said records show that he told injured kicker Clay Rush to sit out until he felt better but that the kicker and his coaches ignored his advice:
"I don't know if he told the team he had symptoms and they let him play anyway, or if he didn't have symptoms and now is saying that he did. I don't know that."
A CNBC article details similar malpractice suits against team doctors of professional sports teams, most of them involving career-ending injuries. One doctor who asked not to be identified in the article, a Los Angeles-based orthopedist who has turned down several offers from pro sports teams, said the job is very time-consuming and doesn't pay that much.
The bottom line is that pro sports is a very high-stakes profession that is prone to injury, often career-ending ones. Former Oakland Raiders coach Dr. Robert Huizenga described the job as "idiotic" from a medical and legal perspective:
"You are dealing with a group of individuals who have unrealistic expectations and no one is going to insure you for what you're doing."
Related Resources:
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Failed/Erroneous Diagnosis and Treatment (FindLaw)
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Merril Hoge: Concussion Nearly Killed Me In Locker Room (NFL Fanhouse)
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Search Chicago Injury Lawyers (FindLaw)
