Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Duties of Health Care Providers
I    DUTY OF CARE
1-1    THE GENERALLY ACCEPTED STANDARD OF CARE
1-1:1    Introduction
1-1:1.1    The Existence of a Duty
1-1:2    “Generally Accepted” and “Reasonably Prudent” Stand-ards Distinguished
1-1:3    Not All Deviations From the Standard of Care Constitute Malpractice
1-2    THE ROLE OF THE PHYSICIAN’S JUDGMENT
1-2:1    Physician’s Exercise of Reasonable Judgment Is Not Mal-practice
1-2:2    Evolution of the Judgment Charge
1-2:3    Limitations on Applicability of the Judgment Charge
1-2:4    Specific Cases Addressing the Judgment Charge
1-2:5    Need for Informed Consent Charge When Judgment Charge Is Given
1-3    PERSONAL STANDARDS DO NOT ESTABLISH THE STAND-ARD OF CARE
1-4    DUTIES OF SPECIFIC MEDICAL PROVIDERS
1-4:1    Duty of Examining or Consulting Physician Acting for Third Party
1-4:1.1    General Duty of Care
1-4:1.2    Duty to Report Findings to Patient
1-4:1.2a    Duty of Examining Physician
1-4:1.2b    Duty of Consulting Physician Not Examining Patient
1-4:1.2c    Duty of Third Party to Disclose Test Results
1-4:1.3    Duty to Persons Other Than Patient
1-4:2    Duty of a Specialist
1-4:3    Standard of Care for Hospital Resident Physician
1-4:4    Duty of a Supervisor
1-4:5    Duty of a Supervisor of Physician Assistants
1-4:6    Duty of a Supervisor of Nurses
1-4:7    The Scope of Chiropractic Care
1-4:8    Duty of Emergency Department
1-4:9    Duty of Nursing Home
1-4:10    Non-Delegable Duty of Jail or Prison
1-5    DUTIES IN SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES
1-5:1    Duty Regarding Treatment of Body/Deceased
1-5:2    Duty to Elderly and Infirm Patient
1-5:3    Duty to Suicidal Patient
1-6    LIABILITY OF THIRD PARTIES FOR PHYSICIAN’S BREACH OF DUTY OF CARE
1-6:1    Duty of a Credentialer
1-6:2    Duty of Employer/Respondeat Superior
1-6:2.1    Employment Relationship Required
1-6:2.2    Employee Need Not Be Party
1-6:2.3    Employer Not Liable for Employee Conduct Outside Scope of Employment
1-6:2.4    Limitation of Liability
1-6:3    Apparent Employment of Medical Professionals
1-6:4    Liability of Referring Physician
1-6:5    Liability of Workers’ Compensation Carrier for Examining Physician’s Negligence
1-7    TERMINATION OF THE DUTY OF CARE
II    OTHER RELATED DUTIES
1-8    THE DUTY OF CONFIDENTIALITY
1-8:1    Generally
1-8:2    Exceptions to/Waiver of Confidentiality
1-8:2.1    Personal Injury Claim Waives Confidentiality
1-8:2.2    Use and Misuse of a Subpoena
1-8:3    Duty to Keep AIDS Diagnosis Confidential
1-8:4    Duty to Keep Psychiatric Records Confidential
1-8:4.1    Privilege Akin to Attorney-Client Privilege
1-8:4.2    Exceptions to Confidentiality of Psychiatric Records
1-8:4.2a    Defense to Crime/Mental State at Issue/Best Interests of Children
1-8:4.2b    Persons at Risk of Harm
1-8:4.3    Improper Use of Subpoena for Psychiatric Records
1-9    THE DUTY TO PROVIDE GENETIC COUNSELING
1-10    THE DUTY TO TERMINATE CARE
1-11    THE DUTY OF TREATING PHYSICIAN TO TESTIFY OR PRO-VIDE LITIGATION SUPPORT
1-12    THE DUTY TO MAINTAIN INSURANCE
1-13    PRACTICE POINTERS

Chapter 2: Doctrines of Informed Consent and Refusal
I    DUTY TO OBTAIN INFORMED CONSENT OR REFUSAL
2-1    THE FULLY INFORMED PATIENT
2-1:1    Physician’s Common Law Duty to Provide Information
2-1:2    Code Provisions Require Written Informed Consent
2-2    ACTIONS FOR BREACH OF DUTY TO OBTAIN INFORMED CONSENT OR REFUSAL
2-2:1     Elements of Cause of Action for Breach of Duty to Obtain Informed Consent
2-2:2    Standard for Duty to Disclose
2-2:2.1    Professional Standard Abandoned
2-2:2.2     Reasonable Patient Standard
2-2:2.3     Informed Consent Regarding Prescription Drugs
2-2:2.4     Only Material Risks Need Be Disclosed
2-2:3    Duty to Disclose Applicable to Non-Invasive Procedures or Non-Treatment
2-2:4     Duty Regarding Informed Refusal
2-2:5     Duty to Inform of Available Diagnostic Testing
2-2:6     The Relationship Between Medical Judgment and In-formed Consent
2-2:7     No Duty to Disclose Unavailable Options
2-2:8    Distinguishing Negligent Treatment/Failure to Diagnose from Failure to Disclose
2-2:8.1     Negligent Treatment/Diagnosis
2-2:8.2     Failure to Disclose Distinguished
2-2:8.3    Use of Informed Consent Form to Negate Neg-ligence Prohibited
2-2:9    Immunity/No Duty to Obtain Informed Consent in Emer-gencies
2-2:10     Disclosure Regarding FDA Approvals
2-2:11     Disclosures Regarding Physicians
2-2:11.1     Duty to Disclose Physician’s HIV/AIDS
2-2:11.2     Duty Regarding Disclosure of Credentials
2-2:11.3    Duty to Identify Specific Physician Performing Service
2-2:11.4    No Duty to Disclose Risks of Treatment by Other Physicians
2-2:12     Liability to Third Parties for Breach of Duty to Obtain In-formed Consent
2-2:12.1    Child’s Cause of Action for Breach of Duty to Disclose Risks to Mother
2-2:12.2    Duty to Advise of Test Results Affecting Patient and Third Parties
II    PROCEDURAL ISSUES
2-3    PLEADING INFORMED CONSENT
2-4    A DIRECTED VERDICT MAY BE WARRANTED WHERE DE-FENDANT CONCEDES A MATERIAL RISK WAS NOT DISCLOSED
2-5    ROUTINE DISCLOSURE AS EVIDENCE OF INFORMATION DISCLOSED TO PATIENT
2-6    WHETHER PATIENT WOULD DECLINE TREATMENT IS ISSUE FOR THE JURY
2-7    JURY INTERROGATORIES IN INFORMED CONSENT CASE
III    ASSAULT AND BATTERY DISTINGUISHED
2-8    INTRODUCTION
2-9    “GHOST SURGERIES”: PATIENT NOT INFORMED WHO WILL PERFORM SERVICES
2-10    PERFORMING DIFFERENT SURGERY THAN DESCRIBED
2-11    NO PROOF OF A DEVIATION FROM THE STANDARD OF CARE REQUIRED FOR BATTERY
2-12    EXCEEDING CONDITIONS OF CONSENT CONSTITUTES BAT-TERY
2-13    PRACTICE POINTERS

Chapter 3: Other Causes of Action
I    TORT CLAIMS
3-1    STRICT LIABILITY IN TORT
3-2    ABANDONMENT
II    FRAUD CLAIMS
3-3    FRAUD
3-3:1    Elements of Cause of Action
3-3:2    Benefits/Burdens of Pleading Fraudulent Concealment
3-3:3    Consumer Fraud
3-3:4    Misrepresentation of Credentials
3-3:5    Misrepresentations Concerning Treatment
III    CONTRACT AND OTHER CLAIMS
3-4    BREACH OF CONTRACT
3-5    FALSE IMPRISONMENT
3-6    THE MISHANDLING OF A CORPSE
3-7    UNAUTHORIZED AUTOPSY
3-8    FALSE DIAGNOSIS OF DISEASE
3-9    ALTERATION OR DESTRUCTION OF MEDICAL RECORDS
3-10    PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF PRIVATE FACTS
3-11    SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
3-12    PRACTICE POINTERS

Chapter 4: Proximate Causation
I    INTRODUCTION
4-1    OVERVIEW
4-2    REASONABLE DEGREE OF MEDICAL PROBABILITY
II    PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS
4-3    CAUSATION ISSUES RAISED BY PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS
4-3:1    Introduction
4-3:2    Defining What Constitutes a Pre-Existing Condition
4-3:2.1    Condition That Could Evolve into Ultimate Condition Absent Negligence
4-3:2.2    Condition Being Treated to Delay Outcome
4-3:2.3    Addiction as Pre-Existing Condition
4-3:3    Defendant’s Burden to Apportion Damages Caused by Pre-Existing Condition
4-3:4    Evers, Scafidi and the “Increased Risk/Substantial Factor” Test
4-3:4.1    Development of “Increased Risk/Substantial Factor” Test
4-3:4.2    Defining “Substantial Factor”
4-3:4.3    Retroactive Application of Scafidi
4-3:4.4    Application of Scafidi to Specific Cases
4-3:4.5    Explaining Limitation of Scafidi Charge
4-3:4.6    Issuing Ultimate Outcome Jury Charge with Scafidi Charge
4-3:5    Failure to Perform Diagnostic Test Which Would Have Disclosed Pre-Existing Condition
4-3:6    Apportionment of Pain and Suffering
4-4    LOSS OF A CHANCE
4-5    AGGRAVATION OF A PRIOR INDEPENDENT TORT
4-6    PAIN AND SUFFERING
III    AVOIDABLE CONSEQUENCES/COMPARATIVE NEGLIGENCE
4-7    EFFECT OF AVOIDABLE CONSEQUENCES/ COMPARATIVE NEGLIGENCE ON PROOF OF CAUSATION
4-7:1    Introduction
4-7:2    Distinction Between Patient’s Pre-Treatment and Post-Treatment Conduct
4-7:3    Distinguishing Avoidable Consequence and Superceding Cause
4-7:4    Cases Limiting Application of Avoidable Conse-quence/Comparative Negligence
4-7:5    Applicability to Informed Consent Cases
IV    CAUSATION IN INFORMED CONSENT CASES
4-8    PROOF OF PROXIMATE CAUSATION IN THE INFORMED CONSENT CASE
4-9    FAILURE TO WARN REGARDING PRESCRIPTION DRUG RISKS
4-10    FAILURE TO FULLY INFORM PATIENT REGARDING PROCEDURE AND ALTERNATIVES
4-11    PRACTICE POINTERS

Chapter 5: Damages in Medical Malpractice Cases
I    TYPES OF DAMAGES
5-1    INTRODUCTION
5-2    DAMAGES FOR DELAY IN TREATMENT
5-3    PAIN AND SUFFERING
5-4    HEDONIC DAMAGES
5-5    DISABILITY
5-6    ECONOMIC LOSS
5-7    MEDICAL BILLS
5-8    EMOTIONAL DISTRESS DAMAGES
5-8:1    Generally
5-8:2    Emotional Distress of Relatives
5-8:2.1    Portee and Elements of Claim
5-8:2.2    Application of Portee in Malpractice Cases
5-8:2.3    Claims for Mistreatment of Body/Corpse
5-8:2.4    Misdiagnosis Generally Does Not Satisfy Portee Factors
5-8:2.5    Emotional Distress of Parents for Loss of a Child
5-8:2.6    Relatives Must Connect Malpractice to Injury to Recover Emotional Distress Damages
II    DAMAGES IN CASES INVOLVING A FETUS OR CHILD
5-9    DAMAGES INVOLVING A FETUS
5-9:1    Injuries to a Fetus/Preconception Injuries
5-9:2    Loss of a Fetus
5-10    INJURIES TO A CHILD
5-11    EFFECT OF SETTLEMENT WITH INFANT WITHOUT JUDICIAL APPROVAL
III    WRONGFUL BIRTH/LIFE CLAIMS
5-12    WRONGFUL BIRTH
5-12:1    Introduction
5-12:2    Distinguishing Wrongful Life Claims in New Jersey
5-12:3    Development of Wrongful Birth Claim
5-12:4    Measure of Damages for Wrongful Birth
5-12:4.1    Emotional Distress of Parents
5-12:4.2    Damages for Extraordinary Costs of Care
5-12:5    Distinguishing Wrongful Birth and Informed Consent Claims: Medical Causation Not Required
5-12:6    Preconception Negligence
5-12:7    Superceding Cause/Avoidable Consequences in Wrongful Birth Cases
5-12:8    Emotional Distress Damages for Wrongful Birth
5-12:9    Damages Not Reduced by Joy of Raising Child
5-12:10    No Claim for Grandparents, Siblings
IV    DAMAGES IN WRONGFUL DEATH CASES
5-13    WRONGFUL DEATH CLAIMS
5-13:1    Generally
5-13:2    Wrongful Death of a Child
5-13:3    Wrongful Death After a Prior Medical Malpractice Suit
V     OTHER DAMAGES ISSUES
5-14    PUNITIVE DAMAGES
5-15    PER QUOD
5-16    ADDITUR/REMITTITUR OF DAMAGES
5-17    HIGH-LOW AGREEMENTS
5-17:1    High-Low Agreements and Worker’s Compensation Liens under N.J.S.A. 34:15-40
5-17:2    High-Low Agreements and Physician Reporting Require-ments
5-18    OFFER TO TAKE JUDGMENT
5-19    PRACTICE POINTERS

Chapter 6: Pre-Suit Investigation of Medical Malpractice Claim
I    MEDICAL RECORDS
6-1    THE DUTY TO MAINTAIN ACCURATE AND TRUE MEDICAL RECORDS
6-2    STATUTORY AND ADMINISTRATIVE CODE REGULATIONS REGARDING MEDICAL RECORDS
6-3    LEGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR MEDICAL RECORDS
II    INCIDENT, INVESTIGATION AND OTHER REPORTS
6-4    INCIDENT REPORTS
6-5    THE PATIENT SAFETY ACT, N.J.S.A. 26:2H-12.23
6-6    PATIENT SAFETY ACT’S IMPACT ON DOCUMENT DISCOV-ERY
6-7    DISCOVERABILITY OF FACTS CONTAINED IN PATIENT SAFETY ACT
6-8    PEER REVIEW/COMMITTEE REPORTS
6-9    SENTINEL EVENT REPORTS
6-10    INTERVIEWS OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
III    DECLINING A MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CASE
6-11    ADVISING THE CLIENT
6-12    PRACTICE POINTERS

Chapter 7: Expert Testimony and Learned Treatises
I    EXPERT TESTIMONY IN MALPRACTICE CASES
7-1    INTRODUCTION
7-2    REQUIREMENTS FOR EXPERT TESTIMONY
7-2:1    Expert Establishes Standard of Care and Deviation There-from
7-2:2    Content of Expert Testimony/Report
7-2:2.1    Introduction
7-2:2.2    Clear, Specific Opinions
7-2:2.3    Reasonable Medical Probability
7-2:3    Importance of Expert Testimony
II    QUALIFICATION OF EXPERTS AND THE PATIENTS FIRST ACT
7-3    QUALIFICATION OF EXPERT WITNESSES
7-3:1    Introduction
7-3:2    Qualification of Expert Witnesses Prior to New Jersey Medical Care Access and Responsibility and Patients First Act
7-3:2.1    Continuing Applicability of Pre-Act Common Law for Cases Arising Prior to 2004
7-3:2.2    Expert in Different Specialty May Qualify in Pre-2004 Cases
7-3:2.3    Examples of Qualified Experts in Pre-2004 Cases
7-3:2.4    Examples of Experts Not Qualified in Pre-2004 Cases
7-3:3    Qualification of Expert Witnesses After the New Jersey Medical Care Access and Responsibility and Patients First Act
7-3:3.1    Same Specialty Required for Expert
7-3:3.2    Applicability of Same Specialty Requirement
7-3:3.3    The Specialties and Sub-specialties Recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties or the American Osteopathic Association
7-3:3.3a    Recognized Specialties
7-3:3.3b    ABMS Recognized Specialties
7-3:3.3c    AOA Recognized Specialties
7-3:3.3d    Scope of Practice for Specialties
7-3:3.3e    Overlap Between Specialties
7-3:3.4    Constitutionality Challenged
7-3:3.5    Amendment to Affidavit of Merit
7-3:3.6    Equivalently Qualified
7-3:3.7    Determining the Qualifications of Medical Malpractice Liability Experts
7-3:3.8    N.J.S.A. 2A:53A-41(a)(1)
7-4    THE PATIENTS FIRST ACT’S IMPACT ON OTHER MEDICAL MALPRACTICE ISSUES
7-4:1    Introduction
7-4:2    Statute of Limitations Amended
7-4:3    Affidavit of Noninvolvement
7-4:4    Malpractice Premium Increases Barred if Case Dismissed Within 180 Days
7-4:5    Remittitur and Additur
7-4:6    Good Samaritan Immunity
7-4:7    Reimbursement of Non-Economic Damages
7-4:8    Malpractice Insurance Policies
7-4:9    Applicability and Effective Date of The Patients First Act
7-4:10    New Jersey Health Care Consumer Information Act
III    THE AFFIDAVIT OF MERIT
7-5    OVERVIEW
7-5:1    Professions Covered
7-5:1.1    Qualification of Dentists, Nurses and Other Medical Professionals
7-5:2    Statutory Requirements
7-5:2.1    Time for Service
7-5:2.2    Failure to Produce Necessary Records or Other Information
7-5:2.3    Minimum Requirements
7-5:2.4    Qualifications of the Affiant
7-6    JUDICIAL INTERPRETATION OF AFFIDAVIT OF MERIT STATUTE
7-6:1    Constitutionality
7-6:2    Supreme Court’s Initial Construction: Hall and Cornblatt
7-6:2.1    In re Hall: Purpose of Affidavit of Merit Statute
7-6:2.2    Cornblatt v. Barow: Affidavit of Merit Not Required for Malpractice Occurring Pre-Statute
7-7    APPLICATION OF THE AFFIDAVIT OF MERIT REQUIRE-MENTS
7-7:1    Introduction
7-7:2    Who is Entitled to an Affidavit of Merit?
7-7:2.1    Which Licensed Professionals are Entitled to Affidavit of Merit?
7-7:2.2    Is an Affidavit of Merit Needed for Professional Corporations?
7-7:2.3    Is an Affidavit of Merit Needed for a Claim Based on Entity’s Vicarious Liability of a Non-licensed employee?
7-7:3    Who is Qualified to Render the Affidavit of Merit?
7-7:3.1    Same Specialty Requirement
7-7:3.2    Waiver of Same Specialty Requirement
7-7:4    What Information Must be Contained in the Affidavit of Merit?
7-7:5    Does the Affidavit of Merit Statute Require Identification of the Defendants Who Deviated from the Standard of Care?
7-7:6    When Must the Affidavit of Merit be Filed?
7-7:7    What Constitutes Substantial Compliance with the Affi-davit of Merit Statute?
7-7:7.1    Substantial Compliance Concept Explained
7-7:7.2    Applying the Substantial Compliance Concept
7-7:7.3    The Affidavit of Merit Statute Should Not Be Mechanically Applied
7-7:7.4    Dismissal with Prejudice Absent Extraordinary Circumstances
7-7:7.5    Failure to Put Expert Under Oath Renders Af-fidavit Non-Compliant
7-7:8    Does the Doctrine of Waiver or Estoppel Apply to the Af-fidavit of Merit Statute?
7-7:8.1    Failure to Promptly Seek Dismissal Estops De-fendant
7-7:8.2    The Ferreira Conference
7-7:9    Does the Failure to Hold a Ferreira Conference Extend the Time to Serve an Affidavit of Merit?
7-7:10    Can the Ferreira/Affidavit of Merit Conference be Waived?
7-7:11    Is the Affidavit of Merit Waived if the Defendant With-holds Medical Records Needed to Prepare the Affidavit?
7-7:11.1    Records Having Substantial Bearing on Prepa-ration of Affidavit of Merit
7-7:11.2    Records Not Needed for Affidavit
7-7:12    The Affidavit of Merit Statute Is Not Tolled Due to the Minority of an Infant Plaintiff
7-7:13    Is an Affidavit of Merit Required in Common Knowledge or Res Ipsa Cases?
7-7:14    Is an Affidavit of Merit Required for Informed Consent Cases?
7-7:15    Does the Affidavit of Merit Statute Apply to Crossclaims or Counterclaims?
7-7:15.1    Applicability to Crossclaims
7-7:15.2    Applicability to Third-Party Malpractice Com-plaint
7-7:15.3    Applicability to Counterclaim
7-7:16    Does the Affidavit of Merit Statute Apply to ­Non-Malpractice Claims, Such as Contract or Assault and Battery Claims?
7-7:17    Is an Affidavit of Merit Needed to Establish Causation or Damages?
7-7:18    Should the Affidavit of Merit Statute Ever be Permitted to be Used to Defeat Meritorious Claims?
IV    PRESENTING EXPERT TESTIMONY AND REPORTS
7-8    THE FOUNDATION FOR EXPERT TESTIMONY
7-8:1    Testimony Based on Knowledge, Training, Experience or Education
7-8:2    Theories Not Yet Generally Accepted
7-8:3    Rule 104 Hearing on Admissibility
7-8:4    Use of Multiple Experts
7-8:5    Failure To Call an Expert Witness at Trial
7-9    THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE EXPERT REPORT
7-10    THE NET OPINION RULE
7-11    THE COMMON KNOWLEDGE DOCTRINE
7-11:1    Doctrine Established in Cases of Foreign Objects Left Be-hind in Surgery
7-11:2    Cases in Which Common Knowledge Found
7-11:2.1    Generally
7-11:2.2    An Extreme Application of the Common Knowledge Doctrine
7-11:2.3    Common Knowledge Regarding Communica-tion of Test Results
7-11:3    Cases in Which Common Knowledge Doctrine Was Rejected
7-12    RES IPSA LOQUITUR
7-12:1    Required Elements
7-12:2    Expert Testimony May Still Be Required for Res Ipsa Lo-quitur in Certain Situations
7-12:3    Examples Where Res Ipsa Loquitur Applied
7-12:4    Examples Where Res Ipsa Loquitur Not Applied
7-12:5    Conditional Application of Res Ipsa Doctrine
7-13    ANDERSON v. SOMBERG AND COLLECTIVE JOINT RESPON-SIBILITY
7-14    EXPERT TESTIMONY IN INFORMED CONSENT CASES
7-15    COMPELLING EXPERT TESTIMONY
V    LEARNED TREATISES AND OTHER SOURCES
7-16    THE JACOBER RULE/LEARNED TREATISES
7-16:1    Treatises
7-16:2    Manufacturers’ Technical Guides and Package Inserts
7-17    THE PHYSICIANS’ DESK REFERENCE AND PACKAGE IN-SERTS
7-18    HOSPITAL PROTOCOLS AND PROCEDURE MANUALS
7-19    RECOMMENDATIONS OF PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL BOARDS OR ORGANIZATIONS
7-20    RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSO-CIATION
7-21    STATUTES AND ADMINISTRATIVE CODES
7-21:1    Generally
7-21:2    Statute as Evidence of Standard of Care
7-21:3    Examples of Statute Held Not Evidence of Standard
7-22    DISCOVERY OF TREATISES TO BE UTILIZED AS EVIDENCE OF THE STANDARD OF CARE
VI    REFUSAL OR INABILITY OF EXPERT TO TESTIFY
7-23    REMEDIES FOR FAILURE OF EXPERT WITNESS TO TESTIFY
7-24    PRACTICE POINTERS

Chapter 8: Pleadings, Defenses and Voir Dire in Medical Malpractice Cases
I    INTRODUCTION
8-1    OVERVIEW
II    PARTIES
8-2    IDENTIFYING ALL CLAIMS AS TO ALL PARTIES
8-2:1    The Entire Controversy Doctrine
8-2:2    Fictitious Defendant Rule
8-3    SERVICE ON ABSENT DEFENDANTS
III    DEFENSES
8-4    COMPARATIVE NEGLIGENCE AND AVOIDABLE CONSE-QUENCES
8-5    AFFIDAVIT OF NONINVOLVEMENT
8-6    STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS
8-6:1    Generally
8-6:2    The Discovery Rule
8-6:2.1    Development of the Discovery Rule
8-6:2.2    Filing within Two Years from the Date of Dis-covery
8-6:2.3    Discovery Rule Triggered by Knowledge of Fault
8-6:2.4    Fact of Injury, Not Injury’s Extent, Triggers Statute of Limitations
8-6:2.5    Increased Risk of Harm, Latent Disease, Can-cer Recurrence: Statute of Limitations Begins to Run On-ly After Harm Occurs
8-6:2.6    Discovery of Proper Defendant
8-6:2.6a    Amended Complaint Relates Back
8-6:2.6b    Due Diligence Required
8-6:2.7    Application of Discovery Rule to Cases, Gener-ally
8-6:3    Statute of Limitations in Informed Consent Cases
8-6:4    Failure to Advise, Concealment of Malpractice and the Statute of Limitations
8-6:5    Continuing Treatment and the Statute of Limitations
8-6:6    Incompetency/Insanity and the Statute of Limitations
8-6:7    Infancy/Parents’ Claim for Injuries to a Child and the Statute of Limitations
8-6:8    Statute of Limitations for Wrongful Death
8-6:9    Statute of Limitations for Public Disclosure of Patient’s Medical Records
8-7    CHARITABLE AND OTHER IMMUNITIES
8-7:1    Introduction
8-7:2    Hospitals and Charitable Immunity
8-7:2.1    Limitations on Hospital Liability
8-7:2.2    Limitations on Hospital Liability Not Applica-ble to Hospital Employees
8-7:2.3    Determining Whether Defendant is a Charity Subject to Immunity
8-7:2.4    Charitable Immunity Inapplicable in Products Liability
8-7:2.5    Jury Charges on Charitable Immunity
8-7:3    Immunity for Emergency Squads and Personnel
8-7:4    Good Samaritan Act Immunity
8-8    TORT CLAIMS ACT AND PUBLIC ENTITY IMMUNITY
8-8:1    Introduction
8-8:2    The Notice of Tort Claim
8-8:3    Requirement of Notice of Tort Claim for Pub-lic Employees
8-8:4    Time to Serve Notice of Claim in Malpractice Cases
8-8:4.1    Eagan and Lowe Opinions
8-8:4.1a    Eagan v. Boyarsky: Public Em-ployee Status Unclear
8-8:4.1b    Lowe v. Zarghami: Extraordinary Circumstances
8-8:4.2    Cases Applying Eagan and Lowe
8-8:4.2a    Ventola and Confusion about Fed-eral or State Status of Institution
8-8:4.2b    D.D. v. UMDNJ and Emotional Dis-tress as Extraordinary Circumstances
8-8:4.2c    McNellis-Wallace v. Hoffman Dis-tinguishes the Date of Accrual and Extraordi-nary Circumstances
8-8:4.2d    Catastrophic, Life Altering Injuries May Toll Accrual Date
8-8:5    Application of Tort Claim Act Immunity
8-9    WORKERS’ COMPENSATION DEFENSES
8-10    LACK OF JURISDICTION
IV    MULTIPLE DEFENDANTS, DEFENSE CLAIMS AGAINST OTHER PARTIES
8-11    CROSSCLAIMS
8-12    REPRESENTATION OF MULTIPLE DEFENDANTS
8-13    COUNTERCLAIMS BY DEFENDANTS
V    VOIR DIRE
8-14    VOIR DIRE IN MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CASES
8-14:1    Supreme Court Directive #4-07
8-14:2    Requirements of Voir Dire
8-14:3    Use of Standard and Open-Ended Voir Dire Questions
8-14:4    Peremptory Challenges
VI    ARBITRATION
8-15    CONTRACTUAL LIMITATIONS UPON AND COMPELLED AR-BITRATION OF MALPRACTICE CLAIMS
8-16    IN LIMINE MOTIONS
8-17    PRACTICE POINTERS

Chapter 9: Pretrial Discovery in Medical Malpractice Cases
I    INTRODUCTION
9-1    OVERVIEW
9-2    PRIORITY OF DISCOVERY
II    MEDICAL RECORDS
9-3    OBTAINING PLAINTIFF’S MEDICAL RECORDS, INTERVIEW-ING PLAINTIFF’S TREATING PHYSICIANS
9-4    USE OF A SUBPOENA TO OBTAIN MEDICAL RECORDS
III    INTERROGATORIES
9-5    FORM INTERROGATORIES
9-6    THE SCOPE OF INQUIRY BY INTERROGATORIES
9-7    DISCOVERY OF COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN PLAINTIFF, COUNSEL AND EXPERTS
9-8    PENALTY FOR FAILURE TO ANSWER INTERROGATORIES
9-9    PRODUCTION OF EXPERT REPORTS
IV    USE OF ADVERSARY’S EXPERT
9-10    USE OF AN ADVERSARY’S EXPERT GENERALLY PROHIBIT-ED
V    DEPOSITIONS
9-11    DEPOSITIONS OF PARTIES
9-11:1    Raising Objections During Depositions
9-11:2    Scope of Deposition Questions
9-11:3    Deposition Questions Concerning Opinions
9-11:4    Deposition Testimony Supporting Learned Treatises
9-12    DEPOSITIONS OF EXPERTS
9-13    MATERIAL CHANGE IN TESTIMONY BY A WITNESS
VI    TREATING PHYSICIANS’ OPINIONS, REPORTS AND TESTIMONY
9-14    USE OF TREATING PHYSICIANS’ OPINIONS
9-14:1    Value of Treating Physicians’ Testimony
9-14:2    Discovery of Treating Physician’s Opinion
9-14:3    Use of Subsequent Treating Physician as Witness
9-14:3.1    Subsequent Treating Physician as Witness Concerning Liability Issues
9-14:3.2    Subsequent Treating Physician as Witness Re-garding Causation
9-14:4    Admissibility of Subsequent Treating Physician’s Reports
9-14:5    Other Issues Concerning Treating Physician’s Testimony
9-15    OPINIONS OF PSYCHIATRISTS OR MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
VII    OTHER DISCOVERY ISSUES
9-16    OPINIONS IN MEDICAL RECORDS
9-17    MEDICAL EXAMINER’S/AUTOPSY REPORTS
9-18    RECORDS AND REPORTS OF BOARD OF HEALTH, BOARD OF MEDICAL EXAMINERS
9-19    EVIDENCE OF A DECEDENT’S PRE-DEATH STATEMENTS
VIII    CROSS-EXAMINATION OF EXPERTS
9-20    SCOPE OF CROSS-EXAMINATION OF EXPERT WITNESSES
9-20:1    Cross-Examination of Collateral Issues
9-20:2    Cross-Examination Regarding Prior Service as Expert Witness
9-20:3    Use of Hypothetical Questions in Cross-Examination
9-20:4    Questions Concerning Experts’ Financial Arrangements
9-21    PRACTICE POINTERS

Chapter 10: Electronic Medical Records
10-1    INTRODUCTION
10-1:1    Federal Overview
10-1:2    New Jersey Overview
10-2    REQUIREMENTS
10-2:1    Requirements for Eligible Medicare/Medicaid Providers
10-2:1.1    Meaningful Use Stages and Objectives
10-2:2    Requirements Under HIPAA for Electronic Medical Rec-ords
10-2:2.1    HIPAA’s Security Requirements
10-2:2.2    HIPAA’s Notification of Breach Requirement
10-2:2.3    HIPAA’s Privacy Requirements
10-2:3    Federal Incorporated Standards, Implementation Specifi-cations, and Certification Criteria
10-2:4    Requirements Under New Jersey Law
10-3    CONTENTS OF ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS
10-3:1    Metadata and Electronically Stored Information
10-3:2    Types of Metadata
10-3:3    Metadata, Audit Trails, and Electronic Medical Records
10-3:3.1    Federal Requirements
10-3:3.2    New Jersey Requirements
10-4    AVAILABILITY OF ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS

Appendix
Table of Cases
Index