At least you have the Texas Medical Board
From the Texas Medical Board website:
TMB, TSBPAE, TSBAE - Malpractice FAQ’s
Do I have to go through the Medical Board to file a liability claim against my physician?
No, the Medical Board does not evaluate, give advice, or handle civil liability claims. Those are heard in the civil courts.
And thanks to lawsuit reform, it appears that at least half of the medical malpractice cases filed in Harris county must have been frivolous.
Malpractice work shrinks after law tightens standards | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
“I have Republicans calling saying, ‘But my case isn’t frivolous.’ I explain that they didn’t just close the courthouse doors to frivolous cases, but to most all cases,” Sweeney said.
Supporters of the changes say reducing lawsuits was exactly the point.
Since the 2003 law added requirements that made medical malpractice cases harder and more expensive to prove and less lucrative if won, the numbers of such suits filed in Harris County courts has been cut in half.
So what exactly does the Texas Medical Board do “to protect and enhance the public’s health and safety…through licensure, discipline, and education?” Here’s one of the recent quality of care violations listed on it’s website:
BAHR, DOUGLAS F., M.D., NEW BRAUNFELS, TX, Lic. #H0149 On June 8, 2007, the Board and Dr. Bahr entered into an Agreed Order requiring that he complete 12 additional continuing medical education hours in the area of record keeping; have his practice monitored by another physician; submit a written detailed plan addressing procedures to be implemented by Dr. Bahr to ensure that he effectively monitor and treat his nursing home patients; and pay an administrative penalty of $1,000.The action was based on Dr. Bahr’s failure to meet the standard of care with regard to an elderly nursing home patient in that he did not appropriately treat her ongoing diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain secondary to an infection with clostridium difficile.
Now if this patient had died, there would be little the family could do in court since there are probably no lost wages involved. Do you think the board’s action is adequate? Do you trust the governor to appoint individuals more likely to look out for the interest of the patient than a jury of twelve individuals? Do you really think that half of all malpractice cases in Harris county (Houston) were frivolous?
Have your medical costs gone down? With all the new physicians flooding the state, you would think competition would have brought down physician fees. How are you going to pay for a lawyer to take your case to court? With all the money you’re saving from lower cost health care?
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Filed under: Lawsuit abuse, Texas Medical Board, frivolous lawsuits, medical malpractice, texas
AMEN BROTHER!!!!!!!