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July 27, 2007
I guess you had to be there
I think the number one rule of surgery should be, no practical jokes on patients. Rule number two should be, if you plan a practical joke on a patient, don't take pictures! You just might get your ass sued if you do.
An oral surgeon who temporarily implanted fake boar tusks in his assistant's mouth as a practical joke and got sued for it has gotten the state's high court to back up his gag.
A Washington court ruled a dentist's malpractice insurance covers practical jokes.
Dr. Robert Woo of Auburn had put in the phony tusks while the woman was under anesthesia for a different procedure. He took them out before she awoke, but he first shot photos that eventually made it around the office.
The employee, Tina Alberts, felt so humiliated when she saw the pictures that she quit and sued her boss.
Woo's insurance company, Fireman's Fund, refused to cover the claim, saying the practical joke was intentional and not a normal business activity his insurance policy covered, so Woo settled out of court. He agreed to pay Alberts $250,000, then he sued his insurers.
entry no. 920
Posted by oz115 at July 27, 2007 01:03 PM