Is the Psychiatrist Liable for Malpractice or Not? You Decide

Didactic learning may have its place in education, but APA is moving beyond the lecture format at this year’s Annual Meeting by offering sessions that actively engage attendees in the action. One of these is the session “Mock Trial: Lessons for Psychiatrists From the Bar and Risk Management.”

The session will be chaired by the vice president of risk management for the APA-endorsed insurance program, Kristen Lambert, J.D., M.S.W., of AWAC Services, a member company of Allied World. Mock trial participants will include APA President Renȳe Binder, M.D.; Liza Gold, M.D.; Lama Bazzi, M.D.; D. Anton Bland, M.D.; Ted Lavender, J.D., of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard and Smith in Atlanta; Noel Dumas, J.D., of Morrison Mahoney LLP in Boston; and Holly Bell, J.D., of Norman, Wood, Kendrick, and Turner in Birmingham, Ala.

Approximately 3 percent of psychiatrists may face a professional liability claim over their career, and it may take an average of three to five years for the lawsuit to be resolved. As such, the impact of becoming a defendant in a medical malpractice lawsuit can be significant, both professionally and personally.

This three-hour session will explore a case involving a patient suicide, and attendees will witness the case from inception through trial. The presentation will include a deposition of a defendant psychiatrist and the phases of a medical professional liability trial including examination and cross examination of a defendant psychiatrist, plaintiff, and expert witnesses. Risk management principles and tips will be provided throughout the mock trial. At the end of the presentation, attendees will serve as the jury to decide the outcome of the case. ■

More information is available by sending an email to [email protected].