Well, isn’t litigation wonderful? If your doctor hurts your feelings, it looks like you can sue for damages – at least, if you live in the UK.
UK patient: doc hurt my feelings by telling me to quit smoking
And she wins about $80,000 (plus attorneys’ fees) for her hurt feelings. Mrs. G delayed her caesarean a few minutes to have a pre-op cigarette; her coughing made her epidural more difficult, and Mrs. G and was criticized by anesthesiologist Dr. A, who noted the increased likelihood of surviving to see her daughter’s wedding if Mrs. G quit smoking. (Arthur Martin, “Doctor’s smoking jibe wins mother £44,000 payout”, Daily Mail, Dec. 21; Kevin MD blog). UK medical compensation has grown 30,000 percent in under ten years.
The article continues with a story about a man fired for missing too much work. But it wasn’t as interesting to me as this one. The above story does remind me of the wonderful lady who worried about the effect of nearby jackhammers on the health of her unborn child. (via Blog of Stupidity)
[tags]Woman sues doctor who hurt her feelings – wins[/tags]