title: How a successful litigator decides whether or not to sue you.
abstract: This article aims to help physicians and other healthcare providers understand what prompts plaintiff lawyers to take on medical malpractice cases and to name the healthcare provider as a defendant in the suit. The article provides strategies for reducing the possibility of being named in a suit as well as for creating appropriate, favorable evidence that can be used for the healthcare provider if he or she is named in a suit. By understanding the "pluses" that cause a lawyer to sue, the risk of being sued can be decreased.
authors.affiliation: Stevens & Lee Health Law Department, Stevens & Lee, 25 North Queen Street, Suite 602, Lancaster, PA 17608-1594, USA. jws@stevenslee.com
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Saxton
authors.forename: Maggie M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D003675:Defensive Medicine / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D033241:Lawyers; D016365:Liability, Legal / Q000191:economics; D011216:Practice Management, Medical / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012308:Risk Management / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014481:United States