Abstract
The article presents the legal liability that may be borne by medical professionals, with particular emphasis on a group of doctors and dentists. The paper discusses the evidentiary and procedural aspects of civil and labour liability, together with relevant courtroom examples. Each of the above-mentioned types of liability has been commented taking into account the fundamental principle for the medical professions: provision of services in accordance with the current medical knowledge.
The systematically increasing number of compensation suits and long-lasting court proceedings, which do not always end in a positive decision for the defendant, i.e. a member of the medical personnel or a healthcare entity, prompts to seek other solutions to the dispute. The authors of the article indicate the need to develop a new, systemic solution to these issues based on a single structure, uniform procedures and premises for determining the right to compensation.
References
[1] P. Zieliński, Kilka słów o pojęciu oraz rodzajach błędu medycznego [A few words about the concept and types of medical error], Medyczna Wokanda [Medical Docket], 2016, No 8, pp. 191-192
[2] Act of 6 November 2008 on patient rights and Patients Ombudsman (consolidated text Journal of Laws 2020, item 849 as amended)
[3] Act of 5 December 1996 on the professions of doctor and dentist (Journal of Laws of 2021 r., item 790).
[4] Act of 15 July 2011 on nurse and midwife professions (consolidated text Journal of Laws of 2021, item 479)
[5] Doctoral Thesis entitled Poziom respektowania praw dziecka jako pacjenta [Level of respect for the rights of the child as a patient], by Sylwia Kiełbasa, defended in 2018 at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Lublin, supervisor: Antoni Niedzielski, MD, Professor of the Medical Postgraduate Training Centre (Centrum Medyczne Kształcenia Podyplomowego), unpublished.
[6] J. Sawicki, Błąd sztuki przy zabiegu leczniczym w prawie karnym [Medical malpractice in criminal law], Warsaw, 1965, p. 68
[7] Act of 23 April 1964, Civil Code (consolidated text Journal of Laws of 2020, item 1740).
[8] E. Bagińska, K. Bączyk-Rozwadowska, U. Drozdowska, K. Karczewska-Kamińska, M. Wałachowska, Odpowiedzialność cywilna za szkody wyrządzone przy leczeniu (w związku z udzielaniem świadczeń zdrowotnych) [Civil liability for damage caused during medical treatment (in connection with the provision of medical services)] in: ed. E. Bagińska, System Prawa Medycznego, Odpowiedzialność prywatnoprawna [Medical law system, Private-law liability], v. 5, Warsaw 2021, p. 245.
[9] Judgment of the Court of Appeal in Warsaw of 3 March 1998, file No I Aca 14/98, Wokanda [Docket]1998/10/44
[10] M. Nesterowicz, Prawo medyczne [Medical law]; Toruń 2000., p. 35
[11] District Court Warsaw-Mokotów, II Civil Division, file No II C 496/08, Unpublished judgment – Research project of the Department of Law, Economics and Management of CMKP School of Public Health: Analysis of legal settlements concerning medical errors.
[12] Regional Court in Warsaw, 5th Civil-Appeal Division, file No V Ca 2559/11, Unpublished judgment – Research project of the Department of Law, Economics and Management of CMKP School of Public Health: Analysis of legal settlements concerning medical errors.
[13] M. Syroka-Marczewska, P. Winciunas Postępowanie przed wojewódzkimi komisjami do spraw zdarzeń medycznych [Proceedings before voivodship commissions for medical events] in: E. Zielińska, System Prawa Medycznego, Odpowiedzialność prawna w związku z czynnościami medycznymi [Medical law system. Legal liability in respect of medical acts], v. III, ch. 7, Warsaw 2021, pp.987-1029
[14] Decision of the Voivodship Administrative Court in Gdańsk of 11 December 2014, LEX No 1573293.
[15] M. Świderska, Zgoda uprawnionego a postępowanie przed wojewódzkimi komisjami odszkodowawczymi [Consent of the right holder and proceedings before the voivodship compensation commissions] in: E. Kowalewski (ed.), Kompensacja szkód wynikłych ze zdarzeń medycznych. Problematyka cywilnoprawna i ubezpieczeniowa [Compensation of damages resulting from medical events. Civil law and insurance issues], TNOiK Dom Organizatora, Toruń 2011, p. 221.
[16] Information on the audit by the Supreme Chamber of Control: Pozasądowe dochodzenie roszczeń przez pacjentów, [Out-of-court redress for patients], 31 October 2018, No KZD.430.005.2018, https://www.nik.gov.pl/kontrole/R/17/004/KZD/
[17] Opinion No 15/19/VIII of the Supreme Medical Council of 6 September 2019, on the parliamentary bill on amendments to the Act on Patient Rights and Patients Ombudsman
https://old.nil.org.pl/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/139774/rs015-19-VIII.pdf[18] Act of 26 June 1974 - Labour Code (consolidated text Journal of Laws of 2020 r., item 1320, as amended).
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.