Thaddeus Mason Pope

No Treatment without Consent

This page collects court decisions and complaints concerning clinician administration of life-sustaining treatment contrary to the instructions of the patient's advance directive or surrogate.

I have also assessed the trend of these cases in several articles cited and linked below. The trend in enforement was also covered by the New York Times. Paula Span, "The Patients Were Saved. That’s Why the Families Are Suing" (April 10, 2017).

New York Times (April 10, 2017)

Court Materials

Melton v. CHA (Cal. App. June 2020) opening brief

Melton v. CHA (LASC Oct. 2019) judgment

Melton v. CHA (LASC 2017) SAC

Lanzetta v Montefiore Hospital (Bronx NY 2019) complaint

O'Donnell v Harrison (Mont. Dist. Ct. May 2019) (reported verdict)

O'Donnell v Harrison (Mont. Dist. Ct. May 2019) (pretrial order)

O'Donnell v Harrison (Mont. Dist. Ct. May 2019) (trial brief)

Magney v County of Humboldt (March 2019) (settlement)

Magney v County of Humboldt (ND Cal Dec. 2018)

Greenberg v. Montefiore (Bronx NY Sup. 2019) (complaint)

Arani v Fisher (Tex App Oct 2018)

Magney v County of Humboldt (ND Cal March 2018) (FAC)

Norris v. Richardson SNF (Dallas County, Tex) (petition)

Norris v. Methodist Health (Dallas County, Tex) (expert reports)

NY DOH v. James Square (Sept. 2107) not follow POLST

Koerner v. Bhatt (NJ Super Sept 2017)

Kemp v Vancouver Health (BCCA June 2017)

Norris v. Methodist Health (Dallas County, Tex. Mar. 2017) (Complaint)

Humboldt County Adult Protective Services v. Superior Court (Cal App 2016) (Magney)

Chase v LifePath Hospice (MD Fla 2016)

Medical Board of Australia v Siow (2016)

Weisman v. University of Maryland (Baltimore City July 2016) (complaint)

Doctors Hospital of Augusta v. Alicea (Ga. 2016)

Doctors Hospital v. Alicea (Ga App 2015)

Daniels v. GGNSC Trussvilee (N.D. Ala. Dec. 29, 2014) (Complaint)

Florida v. Jacaranda Manor (June 2014)

Hallada v. Lakeland Regional Med. Ctr. (Fla. Cir. Ct. Apr. 2013) (Complaint)

Self v. Milyard (D. Colo. 2012)

Sekerez v. Rush Univ. Med. Center, (Ill. App. 2011)

DeArmond v. Permanente Medical (OCSC Nov. 2011) (complaint)

Self v. Milyard (D. Colo. 2011) (complaint)

Jones v. Ruston Hospital (La. App. 2011)

DiGeronimo v. Fuchs (NY Supr. 2011)

Johnson v. University Hospital of North Staffordshire (UK 2010)

Cronin v. Jamaica Hospital (NY Supr. 2009)

Hoslton v. Englewood Hosp. (NJ Super. 2009)

Karem v. Jefferson Manor (Ky. CHFS 2008)

Scheible v Morse Geriatric (Fla. App. 2008)

Terry v. Red River Corp (La. App. 2006)

Folley v. United Surgical (NM complaint 2006)

Marasovic v. Eberhard (Cal. App. 2006)

Loveless v. Colo Springs Mem Hosp (El Paso Cty, Colo 2005)

Furlong v. Catholic Health East (Cal. App. 2004)

Montalvo v. Borkovec (Wis. App. 2002)

Taylor v. Muncie Med. (Ind. App. 2000)

HCA v. Miller (Tex. App. 2000)

Wright v. Johns Hopkins (Md. 1999)

Klavan v. Crozer-Chester Med. (E.D. Pa. 1999)

Gragg v. Calandra (Ill. App. 1998)

Anderson v. St. Francis Hosp. (Ohio 1996)

Osgood v. Genesys Regional Medical Center (Genesee Cty, Mich. 1996)

Strachan v. JFK Hosp. (NJ 1988)

Foster v. Toutellottee (9th Cir. 1983)

Articles by Professor Pope

Providing Cancer Treatment Without Patient Consent, ASCO POST (Feb. 25, 2018).

Legal Briefing: Unwanted Cesareans and Obstetric Violence, 28(2) JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ETHICS 163-173 (2017).

Legal Briefing: New Penalties for Disregarding Advance Directives and DNR Orders, 28(1) JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ETHICS 74-81 (2017).

TRIAD VIII: Nationwide Multicenter Evaluation to Determine Whether Patient Video Testimonials Can Safely Help Ensure Appropriate Critical Versus End-of-Life Care, 13(2) JOURNAL OF PATIENT SAFETY 51-61 (2017) (with Ferdinando L. Mirarchi et al.).

Clinicians May Not Administer Life-Sustaining Treatment without Consent: Civil, Criminal, and Disciplinary Sanctions, 9 JOURNAL OF HEALTH & BIOMEDICAL LAW 213-296 (2013).

Since 2007, I have been posting legal materials on end-of-life issues. I am happy to disseminate these materials for free. But while filngs in state and federal court are in the public domain, PACER and state court website services do charge retrieval fees. And the significant number of user downloads on this site requires server bandwidth. If you find this website useful, please consider donating $1, $5, or $10. It’s is a small amount to inform bioethics policy. It’s money well spent.

Thaddeus Mason Pope

Bioethics, Health Law, Patient Rights

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