News

Satcher Speaks at Georgia Council of Chiropractic Fall Convention

On October 4, 2009, Burt Satcher spoke to a statewide audience of doctors of chiropractic at the 28th Annual Fall Convention of the Georgia Council of Chiropractic which convened at the Loudermilk Center in Atlanta. The presentation focused upon this summer's groundbreaking decision of the Georgia Supreme Court affecting the issue of informed consent for all healthcare providers across the state. As referenced in a previous news note, Satcher represented a doctor of chiropractic in a claim arising out of treatment provided in 2003 whereby the patient claimed to have suffered a cervical disc herniation from an adjustment. After a favorable jury verdict for the doctor in May of 2007, the case was appealed to the Georgia Court of Appeals and then it was reviewed by the Supreme Court. The Courts wrestled with the question of whether or not Georgia recognizes a common law duty to inform patients of material risks of a proposed treatment or procedure. The audience learned that the issue now has been settled after years of uncertainty resulting from a decision by the Court of Appeals nine years ago in a case involving a dental procedure. The Supreme Court unanimously rejected the patient's contention that a duty to obtain informed consent is part of the common law of our state.

Satcher has been involved in the representation of healthcare providers, including doctors of chiropractic, in cases of alleged malpractice as well as licensing board matters for the past two decades. He has spoken on numerous occasions on topics of risk management and current legal updates affecting healthcare professionals.