Adverse Event Response: Three Possible Courses Of Action Against Regulated Professionals

The recent criminal prosecution of nurse RaDonda Vaught in the State of Tennessee for a medication error has renewed questions about what actions can be taken against a regulated professional when an unexpected outcome occurs. Now is the perfect time to review the three different courses of action parties can pursue and the types of relief each course offers.

1. Administrative complaint

The first and most common course of action is an administrative complaint against a professional license. In the State of South Carolina, anyone can file an informal complaint against a professional licensed by the professional and occupational licensing boards administered by the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation. LLR is the umbrella cabinet agency that administers the 42 boards responsible for regulating almost all professions in our state, except attorneys, teachers, and mortgage loan officers, which is quite different from other jurisdictions. Due to the