The article addresses the topic of alternative legal models for pursuing out-of-court claims for medical damages, taking as its starting thesis the inefficiency of the Polish model stemming from its faulty legal construction. The purpose of the article is to conduct a legal analysis of the Polish alternative model of medical damage compensation, with particular attention to de lege ferenda postulates presented in the legal doctrine. In addition, in order to show the possible directions of legislative changes, the article presents the characteristics of selected foreign alternative models of medical damage compensation, including the model operating in New Zealand, which is an example of a model that can be classified as ‘no-fault’, the German model and the French model. The article culminates with an analysis of the draft of the Law on Quality in Health Care and Patient Safety to the extent that the draft provides for a new legal regulation of the alternative model for the out-of-court settlement of medical damage claims. The purpose of this analysis was to see whether the legislator has recognized the demands for change articulated in the legal doctrine, and whether the draft law on quality in health care and patient safety is inspired by solutions adopted in foreign legislation in terms of the legal construction of the alternative model of compensation for medical damages. The analysis here confirms the initial thesis of the work and leads to the conclusion that the draft law on quality in health care and patient safety takes into account many proposals constructed in the legal doctrine in connection with regulating an alternative model for the compensation of medical damages. It is also clear that the proposed model is inspired by some solutions that have been successful in other countries. Nevertheless, the article distinguishes proposed regulations that may still raise doubts and reservations.
The amendment to provisions of the patients’ rights & Patient Rights Advocate Act came into force on 1 January 2012. In assumptions mentioned act was intended to became breakthrough in regulations regarding the so-called „medical malpractice”. The legislator introduced to the indicated above act, the new section 13a titled „Principles and procedures for compensation and redress in the event of medical incidents”. The amendment to the Act introduced the new alternative way of pursuing claims regarding tort liability associated with medical malpractice. However the intention of the amendment itself was right in practice many aff ected need to assert their rights in court, because possibilities of extrajudicial way of compensation are insuffi cient in many ways. This study contains detailed analysis of legal regulations regarding extrajudicial way of compensation adopted by the polish legislator and also indicates theirs advantages and disadvantages. The study also proposes several ideas that could improve the current system of extrajudicial way of compensation damages caused by „medical malpractice”.
Civil liability insurance are becoming increasingly important, within the scope of medical activity. The dynamic expansion of this area is a result of the growing number of damage claims made by the patients and the patients’ families. The claimed amounts are also becoming gradually increased. In practical terms, most of the medical errors are a direct result of the medical activity or activity of the healthcare entity. Meanwhile, the doctor must perform his tasks, on the basis of the employment contract, as well as on the basis of a civil law agreements commonly referred to as contracts, or in circumstances when he/she is running a separate, individual or group practice. Each of the aforesaid employment forms has a significant impact on the legal position in which the doctor is placed, as an insured perpetrator. The healthcare entity may bear a joint and several responsibility with the direct perpetrator, moreover, Civil Liability insurance policy may also cover, within the scope of the offered protection, the damage caused by the doctors on the patients, or in case of injuries caused by other members of medical personnel employed by the given healthcare facility. Another issue is seen in the problem of potential settlements between the entities responsible, also referring to the recourse claims. The present paper aims at indicating the complex legal situation in which the doctors are placed as insured perpetrators of damage, within the area of Civil Liability insurance, and at analyzing the position taken by doctor in the patient-doctor relationship, as well as in the relationship between the patient and the healthcare entity. The author also strives to analyze the legal position in which the doctor is placed as a perpetrator of damage, in case of the insurance required due to medical incidents. The chance of facing recourse claims is also scrutinized within the present paper.
PL
Ubezpieczenia odpowiedzialności cywilnej odgrywają w działalności medycznej coraz większą rolę. Ich dynamiczny rozwój jest wynikiem coraz większej ilości roszczeń odszkodowawczych, zgłaszanych przez pacjentów oraz członków ich rodzin w coraz większej wysokości. W praktyce, przeważająca większość popełnianych błędów wynika bezpośrednio z działalności lekarskiej lub samego podmiotu leczniczego. Tymczasem lekarz musi wykonuje swoje czynności zawodowe zarówno na podstawie umowy o pracę, jak i na podstawie umowy cywilnoprawnej nazywanej potocznie kontraktem lub też prowadząc odrębną praktykę zawodową – indywidualną lub grupową. Każda z wskazanych form wpływa na pozycję prawną lekarza jako ubezpieczonego sprawcy. Podmiot leczniczy może bowiem ponosić solidarną odpowiedzialność z bezpośrednim sprawcą szkody, jak i polisa ubezpieczenia OC może obejmować zakresem ochrony szkody wyrządzone pacjentom przez lekarzy lub inne osoby z personelu medycznego zatrudnione w danej placówce. Kolejna kwestia to problematyka potencjalnych rozliczeń pomiędzy odpowiedzialnymi podmiotami oraz roszczeń regresowych. Przedmiotem niniejszej publikacji jest wskazanie zróżnicowanej sytuacji prawnej lekarza jako ubezpieczonego sprawcy szkody w ubezpieczeniach odpowiedzialności cywilnej oraz przeanalizowanie jego pozycji w relacjach z pacjentem oraz podmiotem leczniczym. Autorka analizuje ponadto pozycję prawną lekarza jako sprawcy szkody w przypadku ubezpieczeń z tytułu zdarzeń medycznych oraz możliwość podniesienia wobec niego roszczeń regresowych.
The aim of this article is to critically assess the time limit for submitting an application for determining a medical incident. The starting point for the evaluation of Article 67c paras 2 and 4 of the Act on patients’ rights and Patient Ombudsman is the inference that this time limit should be qualified as final. This conclusion in particular impacts the effects of its expiry and the lack of possibility – contrary to the individual rules of procedure of voivodship committees deciding on medical incidents in which the time limit is defined under procedural law – for its restoration. The analysis of the solution adopted by the legislator is also conducted through the prism of its comparison with the statutory period of limitation in claims for compensation for damage caused by a wrongful act (Article 4421 § 3 Civil Code). This comparison leads to the conclusion that the time limit for submitting an application for determining a medical incident significantly limits access to this alternative method of redressing damage caused by medical treatment.
PL
Celem artykułu jest poddanie krytycznej analizie terminu do wniesienia wniosku o ustalenie zdarzenia medycznego. Punktem wyjścia dla oceny art. 67c ust. 2 i 4 ustawy o prawach pacjenta i Rzeczniku Praw Pacjenta jest ustalenie, iż termin ten powinien być kwalifikowany jako termin zawity prawa materialnego, co rzutuje w szczególności na skutki jego upływu i brak możliwości – wbrew przyjętej w regulaminach poszczególnych komisji do spraw orzekania o zdarzeniach medycznych kwalifikacji tego terminu jako terminu prawa procesowego – jego przywrócenia. Analiza przyjętego przez ustawodawcę rozwiązania prowadzona jest również przez pryzmat jego porównania z ustawową regulacją przedawnienia roszczeń majątkowych o naprawienie szkody na osobie, wyrządzonej czynem niedozwolonym (art. 4421 § 3 k.c.). Porównanie to prowadzi do wniosku, że termin do dochodzenia żądania ustalenia zdarzenia medycznego w znaczący sposób ogranicza dostęp do tej alternatywnej drogi służącej do indemnizacji uszczerbku powstałego w związku z leczeniem.
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