FAQs

Select a Category below to filter FAQS for just that topic (or leave it on “all”):

Are you professionals?

So far, no, but we hope to add all kinds of people to our group that will be available to help others.

As of November 2018, we’re basically a group of volunteer patient safety advocates and victims who want to help others with their patient safety issues. Many of us have lived through a medical malpractice issue (sometimes more than once), a sexual assault, or other incident. Several of us have been monitoring disciplinary cases out of the Medical Board and are very familiar with how that whole process works (or doesn’t work).

At the very least, who hope we’re able to give you some information to steer you in the right direction after being harmed, and to be there when you need someone who understands to talk to.

Should I file a Medical Board complaint against the doctor who sexually assaulted me?

ABSOLUTELY!

It’s often a very difficult thing to deal with the aftermath of a sexual assault, but you should do it, no matter what.

Our suggestion is to report it to the police first, then file a medical board complaint. Don’t let the police tell you they can’t take a report and that you need to take it up with the Medical Board….that’s simply untrue. If they tell you that, ask to speak to someone higher up, and make note of the person’s name and badge number who told you that.

Once you make the report, get a copy of the police report.

Then file a complaint with the Medical Board and give them a copy of the police report.

Unfortunately, citizens are not well-protected by the Medical Board, so don’t expect them to do much. But, on occasion, they do the right thing and will hold a doctor properly accountable. So have faith, but know that it might not turn out the way you hope for.

Where do I file a complaint with the Medical Board?

Go to this LINK.

You can either use their online form or print out the complaint form, fill it out and send it in.

Make sure you send it registered mail so you have a receipt of them receiving it.

It is important that you follow up with them on a regular basis to see what’s happening with the complaint. You will likely NOT be notified very often, by the board staff itself, of the progress of the complaint.

Expect it to take forever for anything to happen.

What is MICRA?

MICRA is a law that was passed in the early 70’s in California to supposedly help stop skyrocketing insurance premiums for doctors. Unfortunately, it was a big scam and it was a fluke that it ended up a law.

You can read the history of MICRA here.

Basically, MICRA limits the amount a victim can be awarded for non-economic damages (all those damages like pain and suffering, not any economic damages like lost wages or medical bills) to $250,000.

Because of this low “cap” that was set over 40 years ago, it makes it very difficult for victims to find lawyers to take on their medical malpractice lawsuits.

Even if you do make it to court and a jury awards you millions of dollars in non-economic damages, it will immediately be reduced to $250,000 in most cases, and the jury will likely never know it.