Differentiating Medical Malpractice From Medical Complications
Abstract
Determining the notion of medical complications leads to differentiating in particular complications that are the unwanted result of a medical procedure. In particular, the factual and medical cause is to be sought in the nature of the damage and the circumstances of its onset through no fault of the physician, from those complications that are the undesired consequence of unprofessional medical care. In the latter case law theory and practice recognizes a situation that is standing in a causal relationship with legally relevant damages and which makes the medical practitioner civilly liable for harmful consequences. Therefore, complications in medical treatment procedures are a harmful event occurring in the medical treatment of a patient which is caused by the undesired and unavoidable course of illness/injury or the patient’s overall state of health, despite the fact that the medical treatment was performed completely lege artis, and in accordance with moral and ethical principles of the healthcare profession and standards in modern medical science.
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References
Legislation
Healthcare Protection Act, Official Gazette no. 150/08, 155/09, 71/10, 139/10, 22/11, 84/11, 154/11, 12/12, 35/12, 70/12 and 144/12.
Litigation Proceedings Act (Official Gazette nos. 53/91, 91/92, 112/99, 129/00, 88/01 and 117/03).
Obligatory Relations Act, Official Gazette nos. 53/91, 73/91, 111/93, 3/94, 7/96, 91/96, 112/99 and 88/01.
Physicians Act, Official Gazette no. 121/03 and 117/08.
Overview of court practice
Republic of Croatia:
Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia, no. U-III-1062/2005 of 15 November 2007
Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia, Rev 20/2009-2 of 05/10/2012
Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia, Rev 39/2006-2 of 14 February 2006
Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia, Rev 265/12-2 of 28 February 2012
Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia, Rev 397/06-2 of 28 June 2006
Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia, Rev 876/06-2 of 10 January 2007
Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia, Rev 985/07-2 of 28 November 2007
Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia, Rev 1217-2
Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia, Rev 1216/06-2 of 11 July 2007
Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia, Rev 1221/01-2 of 20 January 2004
Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia, Rev – x 56/2011-2 of 31 August 2011
County Court in Bjelovar, Gž-2153/08-2 of 19 February 2009
County Court in Zagreb, Gž-1938/99 of 14 March 2000
Slovenia:
Supreme Court of the Republic of Slovenia, II Ips 385/2006 of 21 November 2008
United Kingdom
Smith v. National Health Service Litigation Authority [2001] Lloyd's Rep Med 90
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