Description

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Exploring the pernicious underpinnings of the medical malpractice industry, Time of Trial is a novel that chronicles one doctor's struggle to defend himself against an unjust malpractice suit. Employing the protagonist as narrator adds a personal tone to the narrative. Early one morning in a Vermont emergency room, Martin Wennar dies of cardiac arrest despite the best efforts of the staff to save him. Having suffered from senile dementia and the frequent falls that accompanied the condition, no one is surprised when the seventy-year-old man passes away. His primary care physician, Jon Ziebaska, is very surprised, however, when he receives word that Martin's wife, Kathy, is suing him for malpractice. Initially confident, Jon reviews the patient's records and believes nothing even remotely questionable occurred during the care of his patient. Yet forces beyond his comprehension are at work. To make matters worse, Cassy, Jon's beautiful and loving wife of several decades, is diagnosed with Alzheimer's and begins to slowly slip away from him. Ultimately, Time of Trial critiques the legal and medical professions for their involvement in an industry that in the end helps no one.