Dr. Rahul Gupta: Dublin judges refuse to accept medical reports from Co Down doctor in compo cases
However, Dr. Rahul Gupta, the Co. Down-based orthopedic surgeon, dem Sunday world This week he said he doesn’t bother traveling to the court in Dublin to give evidence as he is only being offered €50 to do so and his time is worth “at least €3,000 in cash plus VAT”.
He added that he would appear if he was paid “appropriate fees.”
Dr. Gupta, who has faced criticism in Dublin courts several times this year, says he has been the victim of “character assassination” and while he agrees he needs a license to treat patients here, he does not believe he has one Approval needs Leave an opinion.
A judge in an unsuccessful €60,000 personal injury claim in Dublin District Court last month said he would reject all of Dr.’s medical reports. Ignoring Gupta, he said, “I am aware of the issues around him.”
Celina Merriman, whose personal injury lawsuit was dismissed in the four courts
This claim, brought by Dubliner Celina Merriman over a fall in a toilet at a nun’s house where she worked, was dismissed after she admitted under cross-examination that the incident had taken place a week later than she had claimed in her case.
During the trial, defense attorney Shane English said of Dr. Gupta: “He practices medicine in Northern Ireland.
“He is not authorized to practice medicine in this area of law. He is a swearing doctor who treats patients in groups. He will not make himself available for cross-examination.”
On websites where Dr. Offering his services as an expert witness, Gupta says his “fee for a fixed price Medco Ortho report is £300 plus VAT”.
He adds that for non-fixed pricing reports, he will provide a quote on a case-by-case basis. Dr. Gupta says he is willing to travel if there are 10 or more clients.
The Celina Merriman case was not the first time that lawyer Shane English had raised the doctor in court in Dublin.
In April, at a compensation hearing, he pointed out that Dr.
Mr Mulholland told Mr English that he had gone to Gupta on Mr Fahy’s advice, not to undergo a medical examination but to obtain medico-legal opinions on his case.
“They went to Dr. Gupta, who practices at Lagan Valley Hospital in Belfast and is not registered to practice in that jurisdiction,” Mr English told Mulholland.
Mr Mulholland said Mr Fahy had been treating several accidents on behalf of his company at the time and suggested he go to Dr. Gupta to go.
After Mr. Mulholland admitted to Dr. Gupta went to get a report and not to seek medical advice, Mr English said he went to a doctor who had previously failed to appear in court as a witness on several occasions.
Four dishes
Mr English said: “He doesn’t turn up, write a report and deal with you, does he?”
Mr. Mulholland agreed…
Mr. English asked how Dr. Gupta was able to provide three medical reports without examining him. Mr Mulholland said they were “legal-medical” reports.
The plaintiff was awarded €4,000.
In another case in May, Judge James O’Donohoe told the District Civil Court that he had accepted Dr.
Dr. Gupta had provided a so-called medico-legal report for Oisin Fallon (20), of Riverside Drive, Clonshaugh, Dublin 1, seeking up to €60,000 in connection with a minor collision between his motorcycle and a car.
Mr English told the court that Mr Fallon was approached by his Northern Irish legal adviser, Gary Mathews Solicitors. Gupta was sent.
Mr Fallon agreed under cross-examination that he had seen his lawyer days after the collision and before he had visited his Artane-based GP. His lawyer had instructed him to contact Dr. to visit Gupta. The plaintiff was awarded €2,300.
The Sunday World contacted Dr. Gupta this week over criticism he said was unwarranted.
“On the one hand, my negligence reports are accepted by the courts in Ireland, but my personal injury reports are not. That would be double standards,” he claimed.
“I am a British citizen and at the time of writing the reports I was a European citizen.
“I didn’t need a degree from Ireland to give an opinion.
“I understand that I need a degree from Ireland to practice or prescribe medicine.
“My experience at the Royal Hospital Belfast Center of Excellence means I am able to provide an opinion anywhere in the world without having a degree in this area of law.”
He said he was currently pursuing a defamation case against an insurer over what he described as “my character assassination, without the benefit of the interview.”
He spoke about his alleged refusal to submit himself to the courts in DublinHe said he wasn’t offered enough money for his appearance.
“Fifty euros are thrown at me to perform in Dublin. Various lawyers charge €3,500 per day for an appearance. I need to apply for annual leave. My annual vacation per day is worth at least €3,000 in cash plus VAT. I will appear if they pay my appropriate fee.”
Dr. Gupta offers his services on a website called the National Witness Expert Agency – a British website that charges experts an annual fee to provide their services.
On the website he states that he is an associate specialist in orthopedics and trauma.
He says he has written “over 2,000” reports in the last two years, but has only been to court twice.
He also says to potential clients: “I like to travel when there are 10 or more clients to review. I charge an additional fee if more than 50 pages of medical notes need to be read. My current waiting time for appointments is 4-6 weeks.
“I am willing to make home visits. I am willing to travel up to 50 miles to do this, but there will be an additional charge.”