The Medical Malpractice Deposition: A Review for Radiologist-Defendants

AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2021 Nov;217(5):1232-1238. doi: 10.2214/AJR.21.25724. Epub 2021 Jun 9.

Abstract

Depositions are critical components of any medical malpractice lawsuit and seek to help uncover the facts of the case to allow justice to be served. Depositions often create considerable anxiety for physician-defendants, including radiologists. Defendants unfamiliar with the rules of questioning or interviewing techniques used by plaintiffs' attorneys may fail to appreciate important and nuanced details of questions from the plaintiff's attorney, which in turn could impact the outcome of the case. Thorough and informed deposition preparation is thus essential. Highlighting issues relevant to radiologist-defendants, we discuss the role and structure of medical malpractice depositions as well as common scenarios, lines of questioning, and attorney strategies.

Keywords: deposition; legal education; medical malpractice.

MeSH terms

  • Deception
  • Humans
  • Malpractice / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Psychological Distress
  • Radiologists / psychology*
  • Radiology / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Terminology as Topic
  • Truth Disclosure
  • United States