Discuss a case with the hospital's lawyer?

HippyGreenPeaceChick · May 25, 2009

Need advice: I (RN) was contacted by my former employer's lawyer to meet and discuss a case which might lead to a lawsuit. The lawyer said the reason for the meeting is to determine who needs to testify in court. He wants to meet at a café. How can I verify that he is really who he says he is. What kind of information can I give? Should I meet at all?

Is he buying lunch for you. And at the very least he or she can at least take me to an upscale restaurant. I can be bought, but I promise you I am not cheap. Just kidding of course.

morte, LPN, LVN · May 25, 2009

Plaintiff lawyers DO go "fishing around" to see what information they can obtain. And they are not above "pretending" to be on the defense side.
This is a situation that happened in the hospital where I used to work. A woman came in to the Neuro ICU, who had been thrown off of a horse.
She was given a very thorough exam and assessment by the neuro nurse who admitted her. The surgeon hesitated to operate because sometimes it is better to take a "wait and see" attitude before rushing into surgery.
Well, the injury to her spinal cord extended, and she ended up a quad. She was suing the neurosurgeon for malpractice.
Well, the very experienced neuro nurse agreed that the outcome would not have been different if she had surgery, and backed him 100%.
She gets a call from an attorney who said that he was working on the case, and led her to believe that he was on the hospital's side. She met with him, gave him a ton of information about the case, and it turned out that he was working for the plaintiff.
When she realized that she had been tricked, she was furious. She was even more mad when she was subpoened by the plaintiff to testify on her side, against the doctor and hospital.
So, yes, call the hospital 's Risk Management, and ask them if he is who he says he is. By the way, the plaintiff got several million dollars in the law suit, andwhen she is hospitalized for any complication, even in the ICU, she is allowed to have her own private duty nurse.
Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN
Spokane, Washington

vito.....reread the bold.....it sounds like the nurse was on the surgeon's side here, that the outcome would have been unchanged......

TuTonka · May 25, 2009

DO NOT MEET HIM. There was a recent news article pertaining to a serial killer meeting people via Craig's list and so far two women have been murdered. He obtains their information and then contacted them to meet about a "So called" employment opportunity. It is not safe to assume that this person is really a Lawyer or some creep and according to some my last statement would be redundant.

TuTonka