You are a paralegal working for a law firm. Amber from the following scenario has sought the counsel of one of your attorneys. The attorney was busy and asked you to create a letter to send to Amber outlining what the pretrial procedure will be in this case. Your letter must include the pleadings that would likely be filed, Amber’s steps, the discovery process and what each side will look for in this discovery. You must include the tools of discovery and what is likely to occur in this case so Amber is appraised of her situation fully.
Scenario:
Mary had been having headaches for a month when she went to Morgans Fast Fix health center. On December 1, Mary went to the health center and saw Dr. Quack. Dr. Quack took a health history on Mary and charged her $80. He told her the headaches were a result of untreated allergies. He told her to take Tylenol and Zyrtec. If the headaches werent better in six weeks he said she could see another doctor.
On December 5, Mary collapsed at work. She was taken to the hospital by ambulance and is in a coma. The doctors determined she had a brain aneurysm which could have been controlled if it had been diagnosed on December 1. This particular type of blood clot would have dissolved if she had taken the medicine, DissolveX. The hospital doctor is astonished at the treatment Mary received from Dr. Quack. The hospital Doctor called Dr. Quack to ask for the records. Dr. Quack was very abrasive and told the hospital doctor all my patients receive the very best care and I resent the implication that they dont. If you tell anyone she didnt receive the best care I will talk to my lawyer.
Mary is still in a coma but her adult daughter, Amber, has power of attorney to do what needs to be done. It is unknown whether Mary will ever recover and what her condition will be if she recovers. Mary had health insurance which will pay for her hospital stay, assuming she doesnt hit the lifetime limit.