STATUTES  INFORMED CONSENT

(STATUTES)

Disclaimer:  This is part of the 2006 version of Florida Statutes and it is offered for general information purposes.  The statutes on this site should not be relied on without reviewing your legal situation with an experienced medical malpractice lawyer and making sure you are using the appropriate version of the statute for your case.  The provisions applicable to your potential claim may or may not be the version that was in effect at the time of the incident because some changes to statutes are retroactive and some changes are not.  Other statutes and other case law interpreting or applying these statutes may also apply to your case. 

(The information on this site applies to Florida only)

766.103  Florida Medical Consent Law.--

(1)  This section shall be known and cited as the "Florida Medical Consent Law."

(2)  In any medical treatment activity not covered by s. 768.13, entitled the "Good Samaritan Act," this act shall govern.

(3)  No recovery shall be allowed in any court in this state against any physician licensed under chapter 458, osteopathic physician licensed under chapter 459, chiropractic physician licensed under chapter 460, podiatric physician licensed under chapter 461, or dentist licensed under chapter 466 in an action brought for treating, examining, or operating on a patient without his or her informed consent when:

(a)1.  The action of the physician, osteopathic physician, chiropractic physician, podiatric physician, or dentist in obtaining the consent of the patient or another person authorized to give consent for the patient was in accordance with an accepted standard of medical practice among members of the medical profession with similar training and experience in the same or similar medical community; and

2.  A reasonable individual, from the information provided by the physician, osteopathic physician, chiropractic physician, podiatric physician, or dentist, under the circumstances, would have a general understanding of the procedure, the medically acceptable alternative procedures or treatments, and the substantial risks and hazards inherent in the proposed treatment or procedures, which are recognized among other physicians, osteopathic physicians, chiropractic physicians, podiatric physicians, or dentists in the same or similar community who perform similar treatments or procedures; or

(b)  The patient would reasonably, under all the surrounding circumstances, have undergone such treatment or procedure had he or she been advised by the physician, osteopathic physician, chiropractic physician, podiatric physician, or dentist in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (a).

(4)(a)  A consent which is evidenced in writing and meets the requirements of subsection (3) shall, if validly signed by the patient or another authorized person, raise a rebuttable presumption of a valid consent.

(b)  A valid signature is one which is given by a person who under all the surrounding circumstances is mentally and physically competent to give consent.

History.--s. 11, ch. 75-9; s. 21, ch. 85-175; s. 1150, ch. 97-102; s. 62, ch. 97-264; ss. 230, 297, ch. 98-166.

Note.--Former s. 768.132; s. 768.46.