LIBRARY 'mtrnalwelnicala NEGLIGENCE LAW IN YSIA DR. PUTERI NEMIE JAHN KASSIM Assistant Professor, Co-ordinator Medical Law and Ethics Unit, Law Centre. Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah oflaws International Islamic University Malaysia International Law Book Services WISMA ILBS, No. 10,Jalan PJU 8/5G, Perdana Business Centre, Bandar Damansara Perdana, 47820 PetaJing laya, Selangor Daml Ehsan. Td 03-77274121/77274122/77273890/77283890 Fa" 03-77273884 E-mail: gbc@pc.jaring.my Website: www.malaysialawbooks.com 2003
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CONTENTS Foreword Preface Publisher's Note Table of Cases Table of Statutes List of Abbreviations i iii v xi xvii xix CHAPTER I MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE lntroduction 1 Historical aspects of medical negligence. 2 Medical ethics 3 Conflict between medical paternalism and patient autonomy... 4 Legal intervention in medicine 5 The Basis of liability 6 Contractual liability 6 Tortious liability 9 The meaning of the word "negligence" 10 CHAPTER 2 THE DUTY OF CARE Introduction It The Concept of Duty of Care II When does a duty of care arise? It The Neighbour principle 12 Requirement of reasonably foreseeability... 12 Requirement of proximity 13 The patient as the doctor's legal neighbour 13 vii
viii Contents Duty to emergency patients 15 The impact of the decision in Lowns on the Malaysian courts 19 The Duty to third parties 19 CHAPTER 3 THE STANDARD OF CARE Introduction 27 The Standard of care: The Bolam principle 28 The Background of Bolam principle... 30 The Essential elements under the Bolam principle 34 Accepted medical practice 34 Accepted practice to be current practice. 35 Departing from accepted practice... 35 Responsible body of medical men skilled in that art 37 Can the judge decide whether expert opinion held was "responsible"? 39 The Position of the Bolam principle within Malaysian cases 43 Doctor's duty is a single and ~omprehensive duty... 46 Implications of applying noftt1ill negligence principles to duty to warn ~... 47 Duty to warn or disclose material risks 47 The Doctrine of informed consent 48 The Development of the doctrine in the United States 48 The Present position in the United States... 52 Rationale behind the doctrine of informed consent 52 The Approach of the Canadian courts 55 The Stand of the English courts. 58 The Rejection of the Bolam principle by the Australian courts.. 63 Abandonment of the application of the Bolam principle 69 The Impact of Australian decisions on Malaysian courts 72 Duty to diagnose 76 Duty to treat 79
CHAPTER 4 FACTUAL CAUSATION Contt'nts Introduction 81 Proving causation. 82 Factual causation 82 The "but for" test... 82 Difficulties in applying the "but for" test to medical case 83 Materially contributing to the damage test 84 Loss of chance 91 A brief historical background on loss of chance cases 91 Disadvantages of not allowing damages to be awarded 95 The common sense approach 97 A Move by the English Court of Appeal to adopt the common sense approach 102 The Common sense approach and the Malaysian courts 107 Omission to treat 107 CHAPTER 5 REMOTENESS OF DAMAGE Introduction 113 Damage must be reasonably forseeable 113 Manner of occurrence 114 Type of hann 114 Extent of harm - egg-shell skull rule 115 Intervening acts (Novus actus interveniens) 116 Intervening act by a third party 116 Intervening act by the plaintiff 117 Res ipsa loquilor 118 Definition of res ipsa Joquitor 119 Objective of the doctrine of res ipsa Joquilor 120 Requirements to be satisfied 121 Effects of res ipsa Joquitor 122 The effectiveness of the application of the doctrine of res ipsa Joquitor to medical cases 123 Res ipsa Joquitor must be pleaded in the statement of claim 125 ix
x Contents CHAPTER 6 PROCEDURAL PROBLEMS IN MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE CLAIMS Introduction 127 Funding the claim 128 Limitation period 128 Access to health records 131 Discovery 132 Pre action discovery 132 Pre-trial discovery, 134 Case management 134 The Expert medical witness 135 Out of court settlement 137 Damages and compensation 138 Lump sum payment 139 Accountability outside the Tort System 139 Bibliography, 143 Appendix I 154 Appendix 2 155 Appendix 3 156