Foley, Baron, Metzger & Juip (FBMJ) attorneys Brian Whitelaw and Sarah Cherry recently presented to Emergency Medicine attendings and residents at University of Michigan Health West on medical malpractice issues affecting medical professionals in this field of medicine. The presentation was designed to enhance the medical professionals’ understanding of the importance of following best practices and the legal ramifications that could result when failing to do so.

Emergency medicine physicians are among the top medical providers named in medical malpractice lawsuits. In fact, over 75% of emergency medicine physicians will be named in a medical malpractice claim at some point in their career. Whitelaw and Cherry presented information to the attendings and residents on medical malpractice lawsuits, statistics on the most common and costly alleged diagnostic errors in Emergency Department cases, and how to protect themselves in their medical charting.

Using real-life examples from their recent medical malpractice trials, as well as their daily litigation practice, they discussed examples of how even excellent medicine and good charting could be improved to help Emergency Medicine physicians defend themselves in litigation.