Would you be okay with a Joker Dentist?

[Kiki]

OLYMPIA, Wash. - An oral surgeon who played a practical joke on his assistant, and got sued for it, ended up getting the last laugh Thursday.

Dr. Robert Woo, of Auburn, temporarily implanted fake boar tusks in his employee's mouth while she was under anesthesia and took photos that later made the rounds. The employee felt humiliated and quit, later suing her boss.

When Woo's insurance company wouldn't deal with the lawsuit, Woo settled out of court for $250,000 — and sued the insurers. A King County Superior Court jury agreed with him and awarded him $750,000 dollars.

The insurance company won on appeal. But the state Supreme Court on Thursday restored the award for Woo. The court decision was 5-4.
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ok so I laughed at first, but after thinking about it....yeah I think I'd be pretty humiliated too....but I doubt I'd quit and sue the boss. How about you?

 

[U2Girl416]

I think the only part that bothers me is that the dentist has complete control when someone is under anesthesia, and that joke alone would freak me out as to what else this dentist was capable of. we put our trust in the hands of doctors and trust that while we have to go under for a procedure, that we will be as safe as we can be and that said doctor wouldn't do anything inappropriate, even for a laugh.

the joke itself was humorous and maybe I wouldn't sue but if I were a patient of this guy, it'd make me a little nervous

 

[joyfulgirl]

I don't think it's even remotely funny.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

I don't think it's even remotely funny.

 

[redhotswami]

wow that is really effed up. i think there was even a seinfeld episode about someone's shirt being untucked after a visit to the dentist. i didn't find that funny at all. i don't think it is cool to be taking advantage of people like that when they are entrusting you to put them under anesthesia. i'm surprised another investigation wasn't done to see what else this dentist has been up to.

 

[A_Wanderer]

Only 250k?

 

[Kiki]

ok I feel that I have to explain what I thought was funny. I've never actually thought about what happens when they knock ya out or what could potentially take place, and I think I was thinking of the joking more so in the sense of co-workers, however I do think it was completely over board and unprofessional.
I've never worked for or with a dentist, but after working in a hospital, there's really not alot of practical jokes there that surprise you. This on the other hand......

hahahaha makes me never want to go to the dentist again. Thank God I've already had my wisdom teeth out!

 

[Irvine511]

that's the height of unprofessionalism.

i'd sue his ass too.

 

[randhail]

Good for the insurance company not covering him and making him pay for the damages - This may be the only time that I ever applaud the decision of an insurance company.

 

[deep]

Here is my question

why is the insurance company paying a lawsuit for a voluntary inappropriate stunt?

I think the award should have been around 20,000 - 35,000

out of doctor's own funds

I also think the Medical Board?, should have this doctor on watch list for other actions that could result in fines or if need be - revocation of license

 

[deep]

Good for the insurance company not covering him and making him pay for the damages - This may be the only time that I ever applaud the decision of an insurance company.

When Woo's insurance company wouldn't deal with the lawsuit, Woo settled out of court for $250,000 — and sued the insurers. A King County Superior Court jury agreed with him and awarded him $750,000 dollars.

The insurance company won on appeal.

>>>>>But the state Supreme Court on Thursday restored the award for Woo. The court decision was 5-4.

 

[joyfulgirl]

^ yeah, the jerk walked away with $750,000? Unbelievable.

 

[lynnok]

I read this and wasn't amused at all. The Doctor is a Moron, the stunt isn't at all funny and what kind of surgeon is he if he had TIME to pull a prank like that? I've worked clinic and don't have time for the bathroom.

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

^ yeah, the jerk walked away with $750,000? Unbelievable.

Wait, so this guy actually made $500,000 from this practical joke? That's despicable. I can only hope that he loses all his referrals.

 

[love2bmama]

I'm going to an oral surgeon tomorrow, and will be under anesthesia. It creeps me out to think that anyone would take advantage of someone when they put their trust in you enough to let them knock you out with potentially fatal drugs.

As if I wasn't nervous already about my apptointment tomorrow....

 

[Carek1230]

OMG this is without a doubt completely unprofessional and this joker should lose his license and be forced oout of the medical/dental field altogether. This is beyond a practical joke. No amount of money could make such a settlement in a lawsuit for something like this. How humiliating. Also insurance shouldn't be involved and forced to make the settlement payments, it should come directly from the joker who considered himself a professional dental surgeon. He should be ashamed--he gives the dental industry a bad name and is an embarrasment to the practical joke industry as well.

Off with his Head, I say!!

 

[Hinder]

It's actually pretty funny. And there's a window of time, post procedure, while they're waking you up, where it could have been done. We take advantage of it all the time in my job to clip claws on pets.

And honestly,there have been cases where we'll jokingly do something silly, like open the mouth and count teeth, or something dumb before the animal wakes up, especially if it's a particularly nasty beast when awake. Harmless stuff, mind you.

I think the woman ought to develop a sense of humor.

And before you ask, yes, I'd laugh my head off if a dentist did that to me.

 

[randhail]

It's actually pretty funny. And there's a window of time, post procedure, while they're waking you up, where it could have been done. We take advantage of it all the time in my job to clip claws on pets.

And honestly,there have been cases where we'll jokingly do something silly, like open the mouth and count teeth, or something dumb before the animal wakes up, especially if it's a particularly nasty beast when awake. Harmless stuff, mind you.

I think the woman ought to develop a sense of humor.

And before you ask, yes, I'd laugh my head off if a dentist did that to me.

Do you see a difference between messing with a dog and a human?

 

[A stor]

I don't think it's even remotely funny.

I agree......

 

[Vincent Vega]

And before you ask, yes, I'd laugh my head off if a dentist did that to me.

But she is not you.

And to say she should develop a sense of humor... she probably has one. But it might be different from the doctor's. Or yours.

I don't see the connection between clipping claws and making fun out of a person who didn't agree in any way, and had no chance to do so.

It was not a party where everyone was having fun, and being drunk, and a joke with someone asleep would go as some party joking.

Not everyone has the same sense of humor, and some can't laugh about such a joke played on them.

 

[bonocrazy88]

The worst part was probably not the joke itself, but the fact that the dentist could not take the anesthesia and the procedure seriously enough not to mess with people.

Yeah some people would laugh along with the Dr. at the "practical joke" but I would be very angered by the lack of professionalism and the fact that I was made into a joke and a laughing stock all while I was supposed to be in a safe and professional environment. Sense of humor aside (because I can laugh with the best of them) that was a pretty stupid thing to do on the Dr.'s part.

 

[maycocksean]

Hmmm. . .

I've got some friends who are dentists. I'll ask them for their take and get back to this thread. . .

 

[Hinder]

Of course I do. Fact still remains, it was harmless. He shouldn't lose his license over this. I mean, granted he probably should apologize if she got that bent out of joint over it, but he wasn't doing this to deliberately hurt her. It's kind of over the top.

 

[pepokiss]

are you all anti-dentite?

 

[Mr. Green Eyes]

Having just come back from the dentist, I have to say that this is unprofessional. I can see where it would be funny to people, but what about the person that he did it to? I don't know what I would do if it happened to me.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

did you hear the one about racquel welch and the pope stranded in a life boat?

those aren't buoys!