Subpoenas & Lawsuits 

The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) has specific procedures to follow in the instance that you are served with a subpoena. Contact the OGC for instructions immediately upon receiving a subpoena. If you accepted service of the document, note the date and time that you accepted the document. 

Do not speak with any attorney unless the Department of Healthcare Risk and Claims Management or the Office of the General Counsel has informed you that it is appropriate to do so. You may inform the caller that you are not authorized to speak with them and refer them to Healthcare Risk and Claims Management at 973-972-6277 or the Office of the General Counsel at 848-932-7697.

We rely on students, interns, and residents to notify us about any adverse patient outcomes; therefore, it is important that you contact Healthcare Risk and Claims Management in the following situations:  

• Contact from an attorney regarding a former patient  

• Death as a result of an actual or suspected adverse event  

• Loss or impairment of limb or organ  

• Wrong patient/wrong site surgical procedure  

• Incorrect invasive treatment or procedure  

• Unintentionally retained foreign body  

• Suicide or attempted suicide of a patient  

• Elopement from facility  

• Neurological injury as a result of procedure or treatment  

• Any infant born with an Apgar (<6) at 5 minutes  

• Shoulder dystocia with brachial plexus injury  

• Ruptured uterus  

• Hysterectomy in postpartum woman  

• Intravascular catheter-related events  

• Perioperative or periprocedural-related peripheral or central nervous system deficits  

• Loss of sight  

• Spinal cord injury  

• Severe disfigurement including but not limited to burns and amputations  

• All sentinel events  

This list does not include all of the events that might require you to make notice to our office. If you are a resident and become aware of an unexpected outcome that could lead to a claim, please report the incident as a precaution. If you believe that there is the potential for an adverse outcome, we encourage you to notify our office, as these reports support the continuous quality improvement of patient care and patient outcomes. Please also notify your program director.