Courses 2022 - 2023

LAW H 502 Medical Malpractice

Credits: 3-4, Max 4

This course focuses upon the tort of medical malpractice and covers: the history and evolution of medical malpractice in the United States; the effect of malpractice and malpractice litigation on access to and cost of health care; the law of informed consent; determination of the standard of care; theories of professional negligence under traditional and integrated delivery systems; defenses to alleged malpractice and allowable damages. Because malpractice is a state common law tort, many of the cases will be drawn from recent Washington case law. After briefly considering a number of miscellaneous torts which may be alleged in the health care context, the course concludes with a comparative analysis of the various proposed malpractice tort reforms.