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In 1899, Thomas Burk sought the services of family physician, Dr. George Eddingfield, to aid his wife, Charlotte Burk in childbirth. Despite being aware that there were no other physicians able to assist Mrs. Burk, he refused to provide his medical services. Both Charlotte Burk and the child died during labor.

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old timey depiction of a man and pregnant wife asking a doctor to help 

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Dr. Eddingfield was sued for $10,000 in damages for the wrongful death of Mrs. Burk and the child.

However, the court ruled that Dr. Eddingfield was not under any legal obligation to provide his services.

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Hurley v. Eddingfield Case Brief Summary | Law Case Explained

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... there exists on the part of healthcare providers no general legal duty to provide care.

This principle arose after the Hurley v Eddingfield case, where it was concluded that the possession of a medical license does not obligate said individual to practice medicine.

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This legal case also led to questions regarding the legal definition of a physician-patient relationship.

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This legal case also led to questions regarding the legal definition of a physician-patient relationship.

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many laws have been created to better define physician-patient relationships and to prohibit discrimination towards individuals seeking care

For example, the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act

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In 1986, Congress enacted the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA) to ensure public access to emergency services regardless of ability to pay

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Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA)

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For Medicare hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAH): Learn about EMTALA and find CMS interpretive guidelines.

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Despite no general legal obligations, physicians are held to certain ethical and moral values upon taking their Hippocratic oath.

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Virtual Mentor. 2007;9(5):362-364. doi: 10.1001/virtualmentor.2007.9.5.hlaw1-0705.