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Our top priority is providing value to members. Your Member Services team is here to ensure you maximize your ACS member benefits, participate in College activities, and engage with your ACS colleagues. It's all here.

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ACS Brief

Learn About Coping with Litigation

September 30, 2025

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An allegation of professional malpractice can be one of the most stressful experiences that a surgeon could face in their career, with the litigation process and the uncertainty it creates may cause a practitioner to experience stress-related symptoms. However, some uncertainty can be alleviated by understanding the litigation process and your role as a defendant. 

In an article from The Doctors Company, the ACS’s member benefit medical liability insurance program provider, Richard Cahill, JD, provides a detailed outline of the core elements of defending against malpractice claims, which include:

  • Legal Procedures
  • Request for Copies of Your Records
  • Notice of a Claim
  • Summons and Complaint
  • Discovery
  • Interrogatories
  • Depositions, Deposition Procedure, Deposition Testimony, and Deposition Review

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