Malpractice

Rating:
Summary: INTRIGUING
Review: Things begin to go awry when a young boy goes into a coma while receiving nitrous oxide (laughing gas) during a routine dental treatment by Dr. Artie Rosner, an experienced and respected New Jersey dentist. The boy becomes an invalid and Dr. Rosner is sued by his parents. As the damages appear to go well beyond his professional liability insurance limits, Dr. Rosner faces bankruptcy if he is found legally liable for the boy's condition. Dr. Rosner's defense rests on a pre-existing medical condition of the boy that was not disclosed to him by the parents. Dr. Mark Procter, Rosner's associate, has some suggestions as to how things might be manipulated to strengthen the defense. Dr. Rosner is unsure whether he should go along with the scheme that would put the blame on the dental equipment company. Meanwhile Dr. Procter becomes involved in a romance with his new medical assistant.

Initially, the reader is concerned with the outcome of the trial, but the judgment is handed down just half way through the book. Then the real intrigue begins. It is no longer a matter of the insurance policy limits but the limits people will go to when driven by greed. You wonder what will happen next and it is difficult to put down the book. You know a big surprise is coming, but it's hard to imagine what it might be.

The author is a retired Temple University professor with degrees in dentisty, microbiology, psychology, and nutrition. The dental aspects of the story are very interesting and educational. The book might also serve as a travel guide to anyone planning a trip to Costa Rica, where the final chapters take place.

The ending is a real shocker.