Legal Question in Civil Litigation in New York

Re: legal question

You can make a motion to the presiding judge that you have no material information to add to the lawsuit. You cannot force the hospital to settle. It may be a good idea for you to retain a lawyer to represent you so that your interests are protected.

Should you like to discuss this or any other legal matter, you can e-mail me for more information about low cost face-to-face, on-line, or a telephone consultation with a lawyer in our office.

Re: legal question

Sometimes, insurance companies need to see things from a different perspective. Your effort should be to persuade the insurance company that, when viewed just somewhat differently, your testimony may actually help the plaintiffs and the insurance company could end up on the hook for a larger sum. Our office handles medical malpractice cases and occasionally consults with physicians who find themselves as defendants and are at odds with their own, or someone else's, insurance company.

Re: legal question

There is no way to "force" any party to litigation to settle as trial is a constitutional right. Practically speaking, however, the testimony you may give is the only real tool that would have an effect on swaying the opinion of the attorneys.

Regarding getting off the hook as a witness,

if you are subject to subpoena, the legal way to

deal with it is to move to quash the subpoaena if you have a valid reason to protest the subpoena, or for a protective order if the issue is a matter of confidentiality of other ethical problem.