Briefing Wraps Up in Dispute on Whether UR Doctor Can Be Sued for Malpractice

The California Supreme Court last week wrapped up the briefing process for a dispute over whether an injured worker can hold a utilization review physician liable for malpractice. In January, the 4th District Court of Appeals determined that Kirk King could assert a potentially viable tort claim against a CompPartners physician who had provided an opinion as to the reasonableness and necessity of King's ongoing treatment with an anti-epileptic drug. The 4th DCA specifically found that the doctor had a patient-physician relationship with King, so the doctor c...