Healthcare Antitrust Lawsuit Attorneys Serving Gainesville, SC
The medical field is one that has a number of potential antitrust landmines for Gainesville doctors. Physicians are thinking primarily of providing sound medical care while earning a living. They might not contemplate how the federal antitrust laws can impact them. A healthcare antitrust lawsuit attorney serving Gainesville, SC, helps doctors not only stay on top of the law as it applies to them but also can take action to protect their clients from others who violate these statutes.
There are two primary ways that doctors can end up in antitrust litigation:
- The federal government or customers could sue them for alleged antitrust violations.
- Doctors may file suit against hospitals for anti-competitive practices that hurt them.
Doctors May Face Lawsuits for Alleged Antitrust Violations
DOJ and the FTC vigorously enforce antitrust laws, especially in the healthcare field. DOJ has very prescriptive rules about what types of networks and arrangements are allowed. These are not meant by any stretch to prohibit things such as physician networks, but these rules do set lines. While some lines are clear, other trouble may not become apparent until after the doctor is hit with a civil lawsuit.
When this happens, you need an attorney to vigorously defend you. In antitrust lawsuits, the stakes are high. Not only could your business be forced to give up crucial business arrangements and alliances, but you could also be hit with civil monetary penalties. In these situations, you require aggressive legal defense. Of course, consulting with a healthcare antitrust attorney before you enter into a network or alliance could reduce your legal risk.
Physicians File Lawsuits Against Hospitals
As a physician, you may also need to file the lawsuit yourself to protect your own business interests. Doctors routinely have to deal with anti-competitive actions from hospitals that are trying to retaliate against them for cutting into the hospitals’ bottom line. The most frequent thing that merits this attempted payback is when doctors open outpatient surgery centers. Hospitals view this as a direct threat since it cuts into their bottom line. Accordingly, they do what they can to try to crush the doctors trying to compete against them.
The good news for doctors is that not only can you legally put a stop to this behavior, but you can also make the hospital pay financially. Hospitals found to have violated antitrust laws could be required to pay triple the damages that their anticompetitive behavior caused. It is crucial that you take strong legal action to protect your rights.
Gainesville, SC Antitrust Litigation Attorneys
At the Law Offices of George M. Sanders, P.C., we are dedicated and tireless advocates for our clients. Not only do we work hard to make deals happen, but we also fight hard on your behalf if you find yourself facing antitrust litigation. Contact us today so that we can help you plan and execute a legal strategy for your antitrust case. This is a complex area of the law, and you need a knowledgeable attorney with specific experience in this field.
