LEI 220 - Medical Malpractice

3 Credit(s)

Elective course for the bachelor’s and associate’s degrees. Required for legal certificate with a concentration in health law.
This course consists of the following topics: establishing the professional relationship, negligence-based claims, informed decision making, causation and damages, affirmative defenses, limitations and immunities, vicarious liability and multiple defendants, hospital liability, contract, warranty and strict liability, and reform action of the litigation system. Our society has grown increasingly litigious while at the same time advances in medical technology and health care have increased the complexity of health care. As a result, a sizeable practice of both plaintiff and defense medical negligence has been created. In response to both real and perceived crises in health care, much legislation has addressed this highly specialized area of personal injury litigation. Students are introduced to topics such as the historical development of this area of law and litigation, risk management and prevention issues, insurance issues, discovery issues, causation and investigation, pretrial issues specific to medical malpractice claims, and trial of these claims. This is a non-legal specialty course.
Prerequisite(s): Introduction to Law, Legal Research I, Civil Practice.