Wrong-Site Surgery Doc Says He Can t Be Sued medscape.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from medscape.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Avilez filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against Dr. Chen and Mercy Clinic East Communities in January 2021.
A few weeks later- he made a surprising claim in legal documents.
Dr. Chen said he couldn t be sued for the wrong site surgery because “Dr. Chen is immune from liability for the alleged acts or omissions pursuant to the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act)”.
The
Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness act was activated in March 2020.
The emergency measures give legal immunity to health care providers who are working to stop the spread of COVID-19 by using approved countermeasures.
“Obviously, we are not claiming that COVID had anything to do with the fact that Dr. Chen operated on the incorrect side of Natalie s spine,” said Morgan Murphy, Avilez’s attorney. “It is a fairly straightforward situation. A doctor should never perform the incorrect surgery, period.”