Potential Legal Liability for Withdrawing or Withholding Ventilators during COVID-19: Assessing the Risks and Identifying Needed Reforms

JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Volumn 323, Issue 19, 2020, Pages 1901-1902

  Cohen, I Glenn ^a   Crespo, Andrew M ^a   White, Douglas B ^b  

^a HARVARD LAW SCHOOL   (United States)

^b UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ARTIFICIAL VENTILATION; CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019; CRIMINAL LAW; EMERGENCY HEALTH SERVICE; GOVERNMENT REGULATION; HEALTH CARE PERSONNEL; HEALTH CARE POLICY; HEALTH CARE SYSTEM; HUMAN; LEGAL LIABILITY; MALPRACTICE; MEDICAL DECISION MAKING; MEDICAL ETHICS; NOTE; PRIORITY JOURNAL; RESOURCE ALLOCATION; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; RISK ASSESSMENT; TREATMENT WITHDRAWAL; BETACORONAVIRUS; CORONAVIRUS INFECTION; GOVERNMENT; HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATION; LEGISLATION AND JURISPRUDENCE; PANDEMIC; UNITED STATES; VIRUS PNEUMONIA;

BETACORONAVIRUS; CORONAVIRUS INFECTIONS; CRIMINAL LAW; HEALTH CARE RATIONING; HUMANS; LIABILITY, LEGAL; MALPRACTICE; PANDEMICS; PNEUMONIA, VIRAL; RESPIRATION, ARTIFICIAL; STATE GOVERNMENT; UNITED STATES; WITHHOLDING TREATMENT;

EID: 85083179590     PISSN: 00987484     EISSN: 15383598     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1001/jama.2020.5442     Document Type: Note

References (10)

1. White DB, Lo B. A framework for rationing ventilators and critical care beds during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA. Published online March 27, 2020. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.5046 32219367
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4. American Law Institute, Restatement (Second) of Torts, §924, comment (e).
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6. American Law Institute, Model Penal Code §3.02.
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8. Hoffman S. Responders' responsibility: liability and immunity in public health emergencies. Georgetown Law J. 2008; 96: 1916-1969.
9. MD Code, Public Safety, §14-3A-06; §14-3A-01(e)(1)-(3). https://law.justia.com/codes/maryland/2005/gps/14-3A-06.html
10. Opinions of the Maryland Attorney General. Health-public health emergency preparedness-state's authority to ration ventilators during pandemic-physician immunity. Published December 28, 2015. Accessed March 25, 2020. http://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/Opinions%20Documents/2015/100oag160.pdf