For those not familiar with the details of the malpractice case that my wife and I have brought against a local surgeon, I offer you a background link.
For those interested in where this doctor’s family fits into the local medical establishment (at least), I offer this link to a story describing the surgeon’s father, the Senior to the Junior, in literal fact.
The linked story describes Senior as a driving figure in the creation of a for-profit medical establishment in our county and relates that after creating the for-profit hospital around which that industry is centered, he was asked to become the first Chairman of the Hospital’s Governing Board of Directors.
And he held that post for thirty years. From 1976 to 2006.
I have researched publicly available documents and records and created a timeline that shows when Junior “failed to meet standards of care” and when and what circumstances occurred that led to a public reprimand from the Texas Medical Board.
Would it surprise anyone that he was found to be a liability to his partners in practice only after Senior retired?
I’m told that the trial is scheduled for late February. That’s more than three and a half years after the original incident.
Browsing further back, I find that Senior’s Dad was elected VP of the local Chamber of Commerce in 1961.
Doesnt look good. Sure the judge won’t be a buddy?
Steve
Well, that is the thing, isn’t it?
To expand further on that – when I forwarded the linked story to my lawyer and asked a similar question, my lawyer pointed out that Junior is not Senior.
And in a similar context, without going into details, the question came up about whether or not there was anyone where I work who could or would make trouble for me because of this lawsuit.
After some discussions with people where I work, I came to the conclusion that nobody there was likely to be so beholden to Junior or his family that they’d be willing to risk a very comfortable job that comes with considerable prestige in the community by intervening in this case – especially when the Texas Medical Board has already rendered a judgement.
I suspect that such is similar with a Judge. If not, well we are playing a ‘long game’ so to speak, with respect to promoting discussion about local and state-wide medical issues so if anything outrageous does happen, that would be immediately unfortunate, but in the long term would make for a more compelling narrative.
That *is* one well-connected father.