The Doctor Has Apologised. Will I Now Get Compensation for my Injuries? Myth and Reality in Apologies and Liability

Authors

  • Andrea Zwart-Hink VU University Amsterdam

Keywords:

Apologies, admitting liability, professional liability, insurance cover, Disculpas, admisión de responsabilidad, responsabilidad profesional, cobertura de seguro

Abstract

Although in the Netherlands, like in many other jurisdictions, healthcare providers are expected to be open and honest to their patients and to apologise for any medical mistakes, in practice they are still not always completely open about mistakes that have been made. It is often assumed that healthcare providers’ liability insurers do not allow them to apologise, and indeed that making certain statements, such as offering apologies, can constitute an admission of liability. This assumption is one of the reasons why literature has suggested that it is sensible, from a legal perspective, to exercise caution when offering apologies. This paper argues that this suggestion is both socially undesirable and not substantiated in law

Aunque se supone que en los Países Bajos, como en muchas otras jurisdicciones, los profesionales de la salud deben ser transparentes y honestos con sus pacientes, y disculparse por cualquier error médico, en la práctica todavía no son siempre completamente transparentes con sus errores. A menudo se asume que las aseguradoras de responsabilidad médica no les permiten disculparse, y que realmente realizar algunas afirmaciones, como pedir disculpas, puede constituir una admisión de responsabilidad. Esta asunción es una de las razones por las que la literatura ha sugerido que es sensato, desde una perspectiva legal, ser cauteloso al ofrecer disculpas. Este artículo defiende que esta sugerencia es indeseable desde el punto de vista social, y tampoco se sustenta en el derecho.

DOWNLOAD THIS PAPER FROM SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3029245

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Published

15-09-2016

How to Cite

Zwart-Hink, A. (2016) “The Doctor Has Apologised. Will I Now Get Compensation for my Injuries? Myth and Reality in Apologies and Liability”, Oñati Socio-Legal Series, 7(3), pp. 497–510. Available at: https://opo.iisj.net/index.php/osls/article/view/827 (Accessed: 28 March 2024).

Issue

Section

The impact of apologies and the effect of apology laws

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