Defense Lawyers Spiking the Football on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is unfortunately devolving into the professional version of Facebook, complete with all the bragging and litany of "Look at me!" self-promotional posts.  But instead of people showing off a new car, breathtaking vacation, or their kid winning a plastic trophy at a sports tournament, we are, instead, treated to the spectacle of defense lawyers publicly celebrating defense verdicts in medical malpractice cases. Leaving aside the fact there is a devastated patient or family left in the midst, what's especially nauseating is the winning barristers often claim their legal brilliance has led to a "victory" for a physician or a hospital.  These social media clowns have no couth and they are willingly exposing their breathtaking ignorance of the human and public relations aspects of these heart-wrenching cases. Worse is the risk managers, claims managers, and other defense lawyers who cheer on and "like" these ill-conceived victory laps. Please stop...this is sickening and not reflective of a health care system that is supposed to be evolving into a more transparent and ethical enterprise. 

I fully understand that plaintiffs’ lawyers often advertise their booty, but two wrongs don't make a right. The next time any lawyer -- defense or plaintiffs’ -- advertises a "victory" in a med-mal case give them a public "thumbs down" and encourage them to learn about the emotional aspects of these challenging cases while becoming better versed in disclosure and apology. We have to do better...

Don't forget to contribute to our GoFundMe Campaign to support our new research project on teaching medical students how to apologize for medical errors.  Thus far, we have raised over $4K (including off-line donations).  Please donate today! 

Sincerely,

 - Doug

Doug Wojcieszak, Founder
Sorry Works!
PO Box 531 
Glen Carbon, IL 62034
618-559-8168; doug@sorryworks.net