Does Hospital Corporate Liability Extend to Medical Staff Supervision?

Abstract

Corporate liability has proven to be fertile ground for claimants against hospitals. Charitable hospitals’ loss of immunity has produced a sudden and often traumatic change in hospital liability. The impact of corporate liability has been slower, but has produced the same result—extended hospital liability.In the October 1980 issue of Medicolegal News, Lee J. Dunn, Jr., discussed the then-current tendency of courts to find hospitals culpable in tort litigation under the theory of corporate liability. That article concentrated on two decisions: Johnson v. Misericordia Community Hospital, and Bost u. Riley. Six months later, an article by Miles J. Zaremski discussed the continuing trend to hold hospitals accountable for the selection and maintenance of physicians on their medical staffs, and examined the Johnson decision, Fridena v. Evans, and Capan v. Divine Providence Hospital.