Washington Hospital Violated Physician Contact Rule, Court Says

A Washington medical center violated the state’s prohibition on contacting a medical malpractice plaintiff’s non-party treating physicians without the plaintiff’s knowledge or consent, the state’s appeals court said.

The no-contact rule applied in this case even though the hospital once employed the listed them on pretrial disclosures as possible witnesses to the alleged medical negligence, the Washington Court of Appeals, Division One, said Monday.

Plaintiff Michael Snyder, however, failed to show how the violation prejudiced his case against Virginia Mason Medical Center, and thus wasn’t entitled to sanctions for the discovery violation, Judge Janet Chung said.