Citation

Franchitto N, Gavarri L, Telmon N, Rouge D. Med. Law 2008; 27(4): 767-774.

Affiliation

Department of Legal Medicine, Rangueil University Hospital, Toulouse Cedex 9, France.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, International Centre of Medicine and Law)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

19202855

Abstract

Bullfighting can provoke strong reactions, for fans and laymen alike. Risks to the health of participants are inseparable from the spectacle. Organisers call on a medical team whose main task is to treat the bullfighter's injuries. Despite the special features of this medical practice doctors are not exempt from the possibility of the question of their liability being raised in the event of medical malpractice and large financial damages for the bullfighter if he is harmed. The doctor's public liability and professional indemnity insurance contract is therefore all the more important, in fact, this insurance covers damages for harm caused by the policy holder from the moment he is declared liable. In the statute of 4th March 2002, the French legislature brought in compulsory insurance for health professionals with the aim of achieving the best possible compensation for harm. While public liability and professional indemnity insurance is compulsory for doctors, the purpose of making this insurance compulsory is to cover compensation for harm suffered by the victim. In the case of bullfights, faced with insufficient legal regulation and the fact that more often than not the medicine practised in this field is on a voluntary basis, it might be interesting to offer some thoughts on the special features of the insurance contract that ought to be adapted to these extreme working conditions.

Language: en