The ruling involves a 2006 patient visit to gastroenterologist Frank Troncale, MD, of the Gastroenterology Center of Connecticut in Hamden. In that case, the patient was treated by Dr. Troncale, left the physician’s office, passed out in her car and struck a pedestrian. The pedestrian later sued Dr. Troncale for failing to warn the patient of the risks of driving under her healthcare condition. Dr. Troncale denied any wrongdoing in the incident.
The case went to trial court, which ruled in favor of Dr. Troncale. The pedestrian then appealed and took the case to state Supreme Court.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court judges argued that ruling against Dr. Troncale could lead to serious adverse consequences. Physicians could be forced to make healthcare decisions that are not in the best interest of the patients in order to avoid the threat of lawsuits by third-party individuals, they said.
The ruling could have an effect on other similar cases, according to the report.
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