Liability Minute Blog
The Liability Minute blog is a resource provided by ISBA Mutual, offering concise and insightful updates on emerging legal issues. This platform keeps legal professionals informed about the latest developments and trends in liability law, helping them navigate complex legal landscapes with ease. Each minute-long segment distills critical information into a digestible format, ensuring that practitioners stay current and well-equipped to address evolving legal challenges.
Apparent Agency in Medical Malpractice: When Hospitals Share Liability
Cases involving apparent agency in medical malpractice seek to make an Illinois hospital answer for the negligence of a doctor it never employed. Many physicians who treat patients inside a hospital are retained as independent contractors rather than hired as employees, a distinction patients rarely see when they arrive. Hon. Russell W. Hartigan (ret.), a member of the ISBA Mutual Insurance Company Board of Directors, examined the issue in the July 2026 Illinois Bar Journal after a client in the medical field asked how the law separates the two.