posted
OLYMPIA, Wash. - An oral surgeon who played a practical joke on his assistant, and got sued for it, ended up getting the last laugh Thursday.
Dr. Robert Woo, of Auburn, temporarily implanted fake boar tusks in his employee's mouth while she was under anesthesia and took photos that later made the rounds. The employee felt humiliated and quit, later suing her boss.
When Woo's insurance company wouldn't deal with the lawsuit, Woo settled out of court for $250,000 — and sued the insurers. A King County Superior Court jury agreed with him and awarded him $750,000 dollars.
The insurance company won on appeal. But the state Supreme Court on Thursday restored the award for Woo. The court decision was 5-4.
Posts: 2321 | Registered: Aug 2006
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Before declaring that judgment to be excessive, it might be a good idea to get more information.
For example, was some of the $750,000 amount for punitive damages? If the insurance company flagrantly ignored its obligation in the situation and has a history of doing so, maybe that $750,000 is still too small an amount to properly "get their attention"?
Posts: 11304 | From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Mar 2005
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I haven't seen a Picture of this Dentist yet...But I know he is a F#cking Pimp....He's one of those guys that can't lose and always gets away with everthing in life
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Sounds more like a looser to me.....a guy so bereft of self esteem and social acumen that he has to belittle others when they can't respond.
What I want to know is what the devil is wrong with the state's board in charge of licensing these guys?
Here we have a guy allowed, by license, to knock someone out so that he can do whatever he is supposed to do to a person and who has been shown to to have violated that trust by performing inappropriate acts on their body. Why isn't he facing criminal charges?
Posts: 11304 | From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Mar 2005
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quote:Originally posted by bdgee: Sounds more like a looser to me.....a guy so bereft of self esteem and social acumen that he has to belittle others when they can't respond.
What I want to know is what the devil is wrong with the state's board in charge of licensing these guys?
Here we have a guy allowed, by license, to knock someone out so that he can do whatever he is supposed to do to a person and who has been shown to to have violated that trust by performing inappropriate acts on their body. Why isn't he facing criminal charges?
You made a good point...at least this was just a joke.....
Whats realy sick is how you hear on Dateline or 20/20,about these doctors or dentists who sexualy harrassed patients while druged up...thats the sickest thing...
Posts: 2321 | Registered: Aug 2006
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It should cause the same amount of disgust if one is only "joking" when he abuses the trust granted by his position and license. It is heinous, whatever the inappropriate act.
Posts: 11304 | From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Mar 2005
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quote: Whats realy sick is how you hear on Dateline or 20/20,about these doctors or dentists who sexualy harrassed patients while drugged up...thats the sickest thing...
Well, how do we know he doesn't do that sort of thing as well? It's a breach of trust no matter what it was. I don't think his "joke" was very funny.
Jo
-------------------- "Great Day for Up!"....Dr. Seuss Posts: 3387 | Registered: Mar 2006
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I don't think of it as a joke, just crude and mean and, at least, verging on dangerous.
And here's another thing to think about:
We hear all the *****ing and complaining from the medical profession about the cost to them of malpractice insurance, with them claiming it is putting them out of business Then why in hell do they continue to put up with jerks like this dentist in their own midst that are the cause of the increasing malpractice insurance. He needs to be out of business and it is them that isn't doing it. (They pass that cost on to us and, in the long run, to our economy.)
Posts: 11304 | From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Mar 2005
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Maybe they were his own, removed at some earlier date. There is little question that he's an animal.
Posts: 11304 | From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Mar 2005
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I just do not see how he keeps his license to practice. Does not say much for a code of conduct... or maybe it does.
I am really surprised that he won his lawsuit against the insurance company. Typically there is an "intentional" act exclusion that would preclude coverage for outrageous behavior like this. However, malpractice coverage may not have such an exclusion. If that is the case it is really a shame because you and i are the ones ultimately paying those premiums.
What a shame when someone like that profits from this type of behavior.
Posts: 3875 | From: ca. | Registered: Jul 2005
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Actually, the dentist did not win the case concerned with him putting fake canines in the mouth of the woman and taking pictures of his handiwork while she was sedated, then passing them around as a joke. He paid $250k to settle that out of court.
What he won was a judgment against the insuraance company that had refused to honer its agreement to represent him and his dental practice in court for his indescression.
Posts: 11304 | From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Mar 2005
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And exactly who should pay when a dentist willfully abuses a patient?
The insurance company would refuse to pay almost any malpractice claim, then, insisting it waqs a willful act of misconduct. So what. The guy did the deed that he wasn't supposed to and that's why he buys the insurance.
The professional watchdogs are the ones here, other than the dentist, failing to be responsible. The guy has abused a public trust.
Posts: 11304 | From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Mar 2005
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Going after Dentist the Menace is a task for the authorities and I want to know whey they haven't done it.
Posts: 11304 | From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Mar 2005
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