Welcome to malpractice in the Internet era. In what may be a first, a Massachusetts physician has agreed to settle a case after admitting in court that he'd written a series of scathing blog entries about participants in his ongoing trial. Pediatrician Robert Lindeman was defending himself against a suit involving the death of 12-year-old Jaymes Binns, who passed away from complications of diabetes in 2002. Along the way, apparently, he was blogging about the case under the pseudonym "Flea," ridiculing the plaintiffs' case, their lawyer and the jury in colorful terms. Somehow, the plaintiffs discovered the postings--and when the pediatrician took the stand, their attorney demanded to know if he was Flea. Lindeman was forced to admit that he was. The very next morning, Lindeman settled for what insiders say was a significant sum.
To learn more about the case:
- read this article from The Boston Globe