Doctor With Medical Malpractice History Practicing in Texas

A doctor in Corpus Christi has been brought to trial on a charge that involves malpractice. According to KRISTV.com, this doctor already had a history of these claims in Minnesota before he came to practice medicine in Texas

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The doctor, Stefan Konasiewicz had already been sanctioned by the medical board in Minnesota. In 2007, he was sanctioned by that board for unethical and unprofessional conduct, KRISTV.com reports, drawing from a story in the Duluth News Tribune. The doctor was working at the South Texas Brain and Spine Center.

 

The Texas Medical Board, however, doesn't report that they have anything on Konasiewicz. The article reports that the doctor was ordered by the Minnesota board to be supervised by a mentor but that the requirement doesn't apply in Texas.

 

Differences in States

 

States all have their own regulatory agencies for doctors and the requirements do change from state to state. Texas, since 2003, has had a “damage cap” on medical malpractice lawsuits. This “damage cap” limits the rights of patients to receive compensation and was created as a way to reduce the cost of healthcare; even though that has not been the case in many years.

 

Doctors that have been disciplined in one state are not necessarily disciplined in another. The tort reforms in Texas also make it more difficult for people to seek compensation through the courts when they've been treated negligently by a doctor, meaning that it's imperative to make sure that you get a very knowledgeable and experienced lawyer if you're undertaking one of these lawsuits.

 

The Challenges

 

Suing for physician malpractice has always been a challenging prospect. It's not made any easier by the fact that the recent tort reform laws tend to put the situation in favor of the doctors. Patients, however, still can seek compensation from the courts and, with a good lawyer, they sometimes receive jury awards and settlements that allow them to pay for the costs of the botched treatments, missed diagnoses or other forms of negligence that they've suffered.

 

Good medical malpractice attorneys can sometimes be hired without having to pay upfront fees. Consultations are also typically free, so it's worth it to talk to the attorney to see if they think it would be worthwhile for you to file a lawsuit. With the new laws, you'll need to make sure you're getting advice that is up to date and accurate.