LAW599
Medical Malpractice Law
(Forster & Miller)
Prerequisite courses: none
Prerequisite for:
Instructor(s): Joseph Miller, Q.C., and Iman Jomha
Maximum enrollment: 25
Method of presentation: Lecture/seminar/other
METHOD OF EVALUATION:
The primary method of evaluation is a research paper worth 70% of the grade. The remaining 30% of the grade is based on a series of in-class assignments and presentations, as well as in-class participation.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will focus on key legal issues and the practical applications of litigation in the area of medical negligence, with a focus on negligence of physicians and hospitals. Topics will include duty of care, standards of care, informed consent, causation of injury, use of medical records, assessment of damages, and expert evidence. Specific examples drawn from real-world cases will illustrate the effect of these concepts in practice.
Students will be presented with the perspectives of various legal and medical professionals on key issues in this practice area. Students will participate in a series of in-class learning exercises intended to illustrate and apply legal and practical concepts of practice in the area of medical negligence. Students will learn to analyze, present, and discuss case scenarios drawn from real-world cases with a view towards identifying key legal and practical issues. Students will be evaluated on that in-class work, as well as an end-of-term research paper on a chosen medical-legal issue.
Student will be assumed to be familiar with basic tort and contract law concepts, including duty of care, standard of care, causation of damages, and breach of contract. Some prior familiarity with Civil Procedure is helpful but not necessary. Prior study of advanced torts or contracts is not required.
SPECIAL COMMENTS:
This course is intended to be presented as a combination lecture and seminar. In-class discussion will be strongly encouraged.
Description updated 2021-22. Please contact the instructor for any specific questions you may have related to this particular course section.
REQUIRED TEXTS (IF ANY):
All course materials will be made available on TWEN.