A 15 year old dies after being told by the defendant hospital that it was safe to drive him 75 miles to a neurologist.
Was this avoidable? I’m not sure as I don’t know all of the facts and circumstances of this claim. But, I do know from past experience that many patients and parents of patients have “white coat” syndrome. This means that patients are afraid to question the physician’s judgment because they are overwhelmed by the physician’s background, qualifications, education or demeanor. However, if your intuition tells you that the physician is wrong or even may be wrong, never hesitate to question him in a civilized manner and even insist on a different plan of action. When it comes to life and death decisions, you should have a voice and, if the physician does not understand that, you need a new one.