You’ve Agreed to Participate in a Tribunal. What do you need to know?
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Compensation
You will receive a stipend of $50.00 per case from the Massachusetts Superior Court.
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Standard of Review
Click here for a write-up of the standard the tribunal applies to the case in order to determine if the case should proceed to trial.
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Time commitment
Prior to the tribunal meets, you will receive, and are expected to review, key documents for each case, such as the offer of proof, expert report, complaint, and medical records, which typically takes about an hour
per case. You should also familiarize yourself with the standard of review (here) applied at tribunal hearings.
Generally, the members of the tribunal (physician, judge and attorney) meet to discuss the case before the hearing, which typically lasts 15 to 45 minutes for each case. Multiple hearings may be scheduled on the same day, often consecutively.
After the hearings, the tribunal members will deliberate and assess the merits of each case.
There is usually flexibility regarding the date and time of tribunal participation. If an agreeable schedule cannot be arranged, the physician may decline to participate.
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Learning objectives for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for this activity
After completing this activity, you should be able to:
- Describe the tribunal process
- List events that may have led to suit being filed
- Explain the importance of the tribunal
- Understand and apply the correct standard of review for the tribunal
- Describe the role of the physician member of the tribunal
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How to receive your AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for your participation in the tribunal
- Complete your participation form here to have your participation verified;
- Complete the evaluation received via email; and receive credit!
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To learn more and sign up to volunteer, click here.
Medical Malpractice Tribunal Directory
