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Telephone
816.901.9950

Fax toll free
800.955.1855

Toll free
800.264.5959

E-mail
email@modocs.org

Address
PO Box 914
224 North 7th St
Saint Joseph MO 64501

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• Effective Case Management
• Selective Outside Counsel
• Double Teaming

EFFECTIVE CASE MANAGEMENT

Without effective case management, defense costs can equal or exceed the amount paid out in indemity. MoDocs uses the Bauman Law Offices from Saint Louis to dispose of cases that do not require extensive litigation. As of September 30, 2007, 32 lawsuits have been filed against members. Eighteen of those lawsuits have been dismissed without paying one penny in indemnity. Indemnity payments have only been made on three claims filed against our members. The remaining cases have moved on to step two of our strategy.

SELECTIVE OUTSIDE COUNSEL

In step two of MoDocs' strategy, outside counsel is selected and matched with the needs of the case. MoDocs has spent a great deal of time and effort to select best defense attorneys in Missouri. Only those attorneys are used to represent MoDocs members. From time to time, on recommendation of a member, MoDocs adds to this list. Currently several additional firms are being considered for MoDocs defense work.

Once defense counsel has been selected, paralegals and nurse legal consultants start the work of gathering necessary records and preparing a case for trial. We take advantage of their cumulative knowledge gained by working exclusively in the medical malpractice field with regard to experts, document gathering and legal strageties. The use of paralegals and nurse legal consultants at this stage is prudent and cost effective.

Randall Bauman, Bauman Law Offices, Lead Outside Counsel

The Bauman firm aggressively pursues, manages and defends the litigation of MoDocs' policyholders by leading the preliminary litigation and performing case management of most cases while providing the complete defense of other cases.

Wendell Koerner, Franke Schultz & Mullen, P.C.

Outside Counsel Franke Schultz & Mullen, P.C. has been chosen as one of the top firms in the United States by American Lawyer Magazine, based on its “Clients’ Choice” survey, which asked 400 companies to identify the law firms they would select on the basis of service, quality and value.

Included in Best’s Directory of Recommended Insurance Attorneys

Listed in The Business Journal’s “Top 25” Kansas City area private law firms

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J. Thaddeus Eckenrode, Eckenrode • Maupin, Outside Counsel

The Eckenrode law firm won medical malpractice verdicts for three straight weeks in three different jurisdictions. Article entitled, “Defense Firm Scores Med-Mal Hat Trick 3 Straight Weeks” appeared in April 14, 2003 edition of Missouri Lawyers Weekly.

The law firm of Seibel & Eckenrode PC won four consecutive medical malpractice cases over a four-week period from November 15, 2004 through December 10, 2004. J. Thaddeus Eckenrode tried two of the cases, while Robert C. Seibel defended the other two. In 2003, Thaddeus Eckenrode defended two cases that were 2003 Largest Defendants’ Verdicts in the State of Missouri:

Bruce Hunt, Burkart & Hunt, P.C.

Mr. Hunt has been practicing law for over 25 years. Burkart & Hunt, P.C. is a law firm in Springfield, Missouri with an extensive insurance defense background. Burkart & Hunt, P.C. has represented clients such as:

The Medical Protective Co.

EMC Insurance Company

Wausau Insurance Companies

Southwestern Bell Telephone Company

Federated Mutual Insurance Company

 

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DOUBLE TEAMING

Once a case has been sent to outside counsel, MoDocs employs a strategy of double teaming the opposition. We employee two legal teams rather than one to ensure that every advantage in a case is exploited for our doctor's benefit. When sued, both physician and professional entity are usually named as defendants. At its inception, MoDocs adopted the policy of listing a doctor's entity as a named insured. Thus, when a MoDocs member is sued and the entity is named as a codefendent, MoDocs provides two attorneys from different offices to defend the case. This allows two defense teams to actively defend the case, provide experts, argue motions and participate throughout the process. While this strategy results in larger defense costs, it is designed to result in more defendants' verdicts.