Practical Guidance for Managing a Malpractice Lawsuit

Malpractice is always a concern for anesthesiologists and might be an inevitable part of their career. But handling a potential malpractice lawsuit is paramount in avoiding unnecessary complications.

In a fireside chat session during the 2025 ASA conference, Jeffrey Green, MD, the academic chair and program director of the anesthesiology residency program at Mary Washington Healthcare, in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and a group of doctors shared experiences and recommendations in how to properly handle a potential malpractice lawsuit.

In an interview with Anesthesiology News, Green explained the proper way to handle such litigation often relies on doctors listening carefully to the advice of counsel, having appropriate malpractice insurance coverage, and to not discuss the case with anyone outside of your malpractice carrier and attorney.

He said the point of the session is to inform his colleagues on this topic, many of whom are familiar with the processes. 

“Anesthesiologists are not very well informed or not very well versed on the process,” Green said. “So, we’re bringing together some experts from different perspectives to share information on what that process is like and, importantly, what mistakes and pitfalls to avoid while going through that process.”