The Pitt Is The Best LEGAL DRAMA We’ve Ever Reviewed

0:00 The Pit is a harrowing drama about doctors,

0:02 and it's also the most honest legal drama we've ever reviewed.

0:05 But the legal issues that underline the show's major plot lines do

0:09 not play out in real life entirely like they're depicted on screen.

0:12 So, let's lawyer up and get to work.

0:18 Do you know what this is?

0:20 Nope.

0:20 You ever seen anything like this before?

0:22 Nope.

0:22 Me neither.

0:24 Well, that just goes to show you how old I am.

0:26 This looks like measles.

0:28 Many people get better on their own like Georgia.

0:30 However, as many as one in 20 kids

0:32 that get measles get pneumonia, like your son.

0:35 Are your children vaccinated against measles?

0:39 No.

0:38 The MMR vaccine is perfectly safe.

0:41 Measles is not.

0:43 I've read about kids who've been paralyzed from a spinal tap.

0:45 There is zero risk of paralysis.

0:47 He could die from this.

0:48 One in five.

0:49 Do the spinal tap.

0:51 No.

0:51 Can't you just give him steroids without the spinal tap?

0:54 If there's no Adam, the steroids could suppress his immune system,

0:57 making it harder to fight off the pneumonia.

0:59 But it says here that

1:00 Can you put your damn phone away?

1:02 Your son is critically ill.

1:04 The longer that we wait, the higher the risk of permanent brain damage.

1:07 What is not clear here,

1:08 Hillary?

1:09 He has a tube down his throat.

1:10 He can't breathe on his poking holes in my son's spine.

1:14 Wow.

1:15 What the hell is this?

1:16 These are the people from the Pitfest shooting that we couldn't save today.

1:21 We couldn't save them.

1:23 But we can still save your son.

1:27 You're an[ __] Dad calls Dr.

1:28 Robbie an[ __] but he changed his mind.

1:30 When the boy's mother leaves the room,

1:32 the father consents to the procedure, and the ER team springs into action.

1:36 And here we hit our first legal question.

1:38 Can one parent consent over the other parents objection?

1:41 Here's the rule.

1:42 In most states, including Pennsylvania,

1:43 either parent can independently consent to medical treatment for a minor child.

1:47 This is called the one parent consent rule.

1:49 It exists for an extremely practical reason.

1:51 If you needed both parents to sign off on every medical decision,

1:54 every divorced couple in America would be creating a medical emergency.

1:57 Every time their kid needed stitches at 2 a.m.

1:59 and one parent wasn't answering the phone.

2:01 So, when dad overrides mom and consents to the spinal tap,

2:04 he's on solid legal ground.

2:05 One parents yes is legally sufficient,

2:08 even when the other parent is actively saying no.

2:10 The exception would be if there's a custody order

2:12 that specifically allocates medical decision-making authority to one parent,

2:15 but unless they have that kind of order, either parent can authorize treatment.

2:19 The spinal tap happens.

2:20 The child survives the immediate crisis, but mom is not happy.

2:24 If you think the malpractice case is messy,

2:26 wait until the family court filing lands.

2:28 Paging divorce lawyers stat.

2:30 There's potential criminal liability, too.

2:32 A parent commits the crime of endangering the welfare of a child in Pennsylvania

2:35 when they knowingly endanger the welfare of a child by violating a duty of care,

2:39 protection, or support.

2:40 This shows up most prominently in the medical context with faith healing,

2:43 parents who refuse to give needed medical care to a child who then dies.

2:47 This can also happen specifically in Pennsylvania with certain groups like

2:50 the Amish who don't actually have a religious objection to modern medical care.

2:54 Instead, for them, it's more about cultural and religious mores

2:57 and folkways about reaching outside of the community for medical care.

3:00 Either way, there's no religious

3:02 or cultural exemption to Pennsylvania's criminal law.

3:05 But in The Pit, Dad ends up bailing himself and his wife

3:08 out because the threatened harm is eliminated by dad choosing the spinal tab.

3:12 This job's really important to me and my sister unites to support both of us.

3:16 It's going to go great.

3:17 Just tell him what happened.

3:18 You're not at fault.

3:19 Your job's not in jeopardy.

3:20 I mean, the lawyer said that I can

3:23 lawyer's job is to try and shake your confidence, so don't let them.

3:25 You're a very good doctor.

3:27 I have been training residents for years.

3:29 You are one of the very best.

3:31 When we get to season 2,

3:32 we find out mom has sued the hospital and the doctors who performed

3:34 the spinal tap in a civil malpractice suit because her son has brain damage.

3:38 Dr.

3:38 Mel King and Dr.

3:39 Ellis are named as defendants.

3:41 We don't know much about the nature of his brain

3:43 damage except for the warnings the doctors gave during season 1,

3:46 but I'm skeptical about the merits of the underlying claim.

3:49 Did the lumbar puncture cause the injury?

3:51 And would we even know for sure less than a year later?

3:54 A spinal tap has known risks and you generally can't

3:56 sue for a known inherent risk that was properly disclosed.

3:59 Now, a person can argue that a medical procedure caused

4:02 harm even when that procedure was the standard of care.

4:05 They can argue that it was performed negligently or that this particular

4:08 patient wasn't a good candidate or that something went wrong in execution.

4:11 This is harder than it sounds.

4:13 In Pennsylvania, as in most states,

4:15 you need a certificate of merit from a physician verifying that there

4:18 is a legitimate basis for the claim before it can proceed.

4:21 While you may think that it's easy to find

4:22 some quack doctor to give a certificate of merit, it's actually not that simple.

4:26 Medical malpractice cases are complex and timeconuming.

4:29 The medmal lawyer that has to foot the bill for that.

4:31 And if the doctor charges $750 an hour, the charges rack up quickly.

4:35 But here's the part that is going to haunt me.

4:37 I'm looking for Dr.

4:38 Mel King.

4:42 Yes.

4:42 I'm Morgan Styles, one of the hospital's attorneys.

4:44 I'm here to escort you upstairs for your deposition.

4:46 The deposition is scheduled for July 4th.

4:49 July 4th during her shift.

4:52 Nobody in the legal profession is working on the 4th of July except possibly

4:55 to write strongly worded emails about why they

4:57 shouldn't be working on the 4th of July.

4:59 And let's talk about the timeline.

5:00 It's been compressed to the point of legal fantasy.

5:03 The injury manifested in September of 2025.

5:06 The depositions are happening less than a year later.

5:09 That's way too soon.

5:10 Realistically, we're talking 2 years before deposition.

5:13 Hey, just wanted to let you know that Scout filmed an entire

5:15 segment about the most talked about scene in season 2 of The Pit.

5:18 That is of course charged nurse Dana performing a forensic

5:21 rape kit procedure on a victim of sexual assault.

5:24 And yes, we are worried that even

5:26 accurately describing that scene will get this entire

5:28 video demonetized because we don't pull punches

5:30 and we don't use euphemisms around here.

5:32 So our legal analysis is often something

5:34 we cannot actually talk about on YouTube.

5:36 But you can watch all of it plus hours of additional

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6:55 But season 2, episode 7,

6:57 Mel waits pensively for her deposition scheduled for 2028

7:00 while concerning noises come from her sister's bedroom,

7:03 is not the television anyone wants to make or watch.

7:06 Working on the 4th of July, though, eh, that's a doctor thing.

7:09 But after her deposition, Dr.

7:10 Ellis finds Dr.

7:11 Mel and they have this critical exchange.

7:13 I just finished my deposition.

7:16 Oh.

7:16 Um, should I go up now?

7:18 Yeah, just wait until you get a call.

7:21 Okay.

7:21 Well, I'd ask how it went, but we're not supposed to discuss the case.

7:25 This isn't a discussion.

7:26 It's a monologue.

7:27 So, shut up and listen.

7:30 The malpractice case is frivolous.

7:32 The mother of the misel's kid claims we

7:33 caused intellectual decline by performing a spinal tap,

7:37 but the tap was perfect with no complications.

7:40 Her son presented with altered mental status

7:42 due to low oxygen from measles pneumonia.

7:45 Any change in intellect was due to hypoxic brain injury.

7:48 It had nothing to do with your spinal tap.

7:51 End of monologue.

7:53 We never discussed the case.

7:56 I got to get some sleep.

7:58 Thanks, I guess.

8:02 So, did either of these doctors commit a crime?

8:04 A few things here.

8:06 There's no absolute prohibition on witnesses discussing depositions,

8:09 but it is standard practice for attorneys to instruct clients

8:12 not to do exactly this before the other witnesses testified.

8:15 The reason is exactly what you'd expect.

8:17 If witness A tells witness B what she was asked,

8:20 witness B can shape her own answers so they align.

8:22 But in Dr.

8:23 Ellis's defense, Dr.

8:24 Mel's own attorneys would have prepared her before her deposition.

8:27 They would have walked her through the allegations, the theory of the case,

8:30 what the plaintiff is trying to prove in the defense's theory of the case.

8:33 So Ellis telling her that the spinal tap was

8:35 perfectly executed and that any change in the child's

8:37 intellect was caused by hypoxic brain injury rather

8:40 than the spinal tap isn't exactly a revelation.

8:42 It's their legal defense and the lawyers

8:44 would have already prepared her for that.

8:46 At least we hope that's what they did.

8:49 Excuse me.

8:51 Um, she took a nasty fall.

8:53 Her shoulder screamed in pain when we put the ties on.

8:55 Hello, I'm Dr.

8:56 Rabinovich.

8:56 This is Dr.

8:57 McKay.

8:58 Agents Koreah and Russo.

9:00 She needs to be looked at before we process her.

9:03 What's your name, ma'am?

9:07 Anita, we're going to take care of you.

9:09 Okay.

9:09 What's that mean?

9:10 That means that she's going to require an X-ray.

9:12 It's most likely a rotator cuff tear,

9:14 which sometimes could come with a fracture.

9:15 We need an X-ray to rule it out.

9:17 How long's that going to take?

9:19 Our computers are down today.

9:21 Everything's moving a little slower than usual, but we will fasttrack her.

9:24 Is there anyone you want us to call?

9:26 Anita,

9:26 no phone calls.

9:31 I do not want these guys here any longer than they need to be.

9:33 So, let's find X-ray and fast track this one.

9:35 Her family might be worried.

9:36 Maybe I can call them.

9:37 No, no, no.

9:38 Just stay with her.

9:39 Make sure she has everything she needs.

9:40 We treat her injury and that's it.

9:42 Okay.

9:42 This is unfortunately a realistic portrayal of what's

9:45 happening in hospitals all over the country right now.

9:47 On January 20th, 2025, the Trump administration rescended biden

9:51 era policies that protected sensitive locations,

9:53 including hospitals, clinics, schools,

9:55 and places of worship from routine immigration enforcement.

9:58 ICE agents were previously instructed to avoid

10:00 conducting arrests and raids in those areas.

10:03 After the policies were rescended,

10:04 hospitals became battlegrounds for immigration enforcement.

10:08 ICE agents in plain clothes have arrested patients inside hospitals and clinics.

10:11 They've handcuffed public officials like Chicago City Councilman Jesse Fuentes,

10:15 who is seen here asking whether they have a warrant.

10:17 They arrested two California hospital workers

10:19 and accused them of interfering with ICE.

10:21 So, how did the show handle the legal issues?

10:23 We just need to treat her, even if she's undocumented.

10:26 All patients, regardless of immigration status,

10:28 have the right to emergency care under MTA.

10:31 Dana accurately described the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act or MTA,

10:35 which requires any hospital receiving Medicare funding,

10:37 which is essentially every hospital in the country,

10:40 to provide stabilizing care to anyone who comes through the door,

10:42 regardless of immigration status, regardless of insurance,

10:45 regardless of ability to pay.

10:47 So, Prrenita has a legal right to be treated.

10:50 Okay, time for you to go.

10:52 I was just having to chat when Spear's here.

10:55 You can see how busy this department is, right?

10:57 You've been nothing but a distraction and a disruption since you've been here.

10:59 I'm already short staffed and I just lost five nurses

11:02 and half my environmental services team because you walked in.

11:05 You know, patients come in here for help, right?

11:07 Because they're either sick or they're injured and documented or undocumented.

11:10 They have a right to emergency care.

11:12 TB, measles, fractures,

11:14 none of us getting treated cuz everybody's too scared to come in.

11:16 But then they end up here anyway.

11:17 But then it's too[ __] late.

11:18 So please, for the love of God, can you just go wait over there in the room

11:21 with your detainees so I don't lose any more patients or staff?

11:25 The interaction between Agent Russo and the hospital clerk is a HIPPA minefield.

11:29 Hospital staff cannot disclose patient information to ICE without something,

11:33 a subpoena or warrant, patient consent, a written administrative request,

11:37 or a specific exception for imminent serious harm.

11:40 An immigration status does not qualify as imminent serious harm.

11:43 So, if the agent is trying to get information about her medical status,

11:46 the staff has a legal obligation to refuse

11:48 unless one of those conditions are met.

11:50 They can discharge her or notify the agent that she's being discharged,

11:54 but that's really it.

11:56 Come on, she's cleared to go.

11:59 But hold on.

12:00 She needs a slave.

12:01 This only take a minute.

12:02 We're leaving.

12:03 Hey, man.

12:03 You're hurting her.

12:07 Jesus Christ.

12:07 What's going on now?

12:10 Robbie, get your HEARD HER AND JESSE STEPPED IN.

12:13 I DIDN'T DO[ __] The writers probably base this event

12:16 on the two California healthcare workers

12:17 who are facing felony obstruction charges.

12:19 In this episode, the conflict started when the doctor

12:22 and nurse indicate that the treatment wasn't complete.

12:24 Jesse stepped in, but they didn't show us what happened after he said,

12:27 "You're hurting her." Whether Jesse was obstructing

12:29 ICE and the legitimate performance of their duties

12:31 is a fact-specific inquiry that the writers chose to leave to our imagination.

12:35 In the United States,

12:36 nearly 2.8 million healthcare workers are legal immigrants.

12:39 Of that group, tens of thousands are in the US on temporary protected status.

12:43 That means they are in the country

12:44 legally and shouldn't be detained or deported.

12:47 But in 2025 and 2026,

12:49 ISIS detained people on TPS and some of them are held for weeks.

12:53 So, it's not far-fetched for the show to depict

12:55 fear by the staff as well as the patients.

12:57 And it's not illegal for them to walk

12:59 away from their workplace because they're afraid of ICE.

13:01 It's no different from taking a long lunch or smoking break in the parking lot.

13:05 Of course, the hospital could fire them,

13:07 but the healthcare industry faces a real shortage of skilled workers.

13:10 So, hospitals don't have much room to terminate staff under those circumstances.

13:14 Now, for a story line with two distinct

13:16 legal problems layered on top of each other.

13:18 The patient here is Christy,

13:20 a 17-year-old from Tennessee who's traveled to Pittsburgh

13:22 with her aunt Lynette to get a medication abortion.

13:25 No, what would have been helpful is TELLING ME THAT MY DAUGHTER IS PREGNANT.

13:28 INSTEAD, I FIND OUT FROM A CONFUSED teenage boy.

13:31 Jackson told you?

13:32 Yeah, he did.

13:33 Oh, everything okay in here?

13:34 This is Mrs.

13:35 Wheeler, Christiey's mother.

13:36 Lynette is Christiey's aunt.

13:38 She doesn't want to have THIS BABY.

13:40 THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU.

13:42 NO, I CALLED.

13:44 OKAY.

13:44 I don't want to be a teen mom.

13:47 You're going to what?

13:47 Give my daughter the abortion I've forbidden.

13:50 Hey, what's going on?

13:50 And she is at that moment legally correct.

13:53 Pennsylvania requires parental consent for a minor's abortion.

13:56 There is an exception called a judicial bypass,

13:59 which allows a minor to petition a judge

14:01 privately for permission to proceed without parental involvement.

14:04 But Christy didn't do that.

14:05 her aunt brought her in and the aunt would have to falsify

14:08 legal forms claiming to be her mother for this to work.

14:10 The show acknowledges the parental consent requirement directly

14:13 when the mother arrives and Collins confirms it.

14:15 When the mother ultimately changes her mind and gives consent,

14:18 the immediate legal problem resolves.

14:20 So, the show papers over the falsification

14:22 issue by making it unnecessary in hindsight.

14:24 But everything that happened before the mother consented was proceeding

14:27 on falsified documentation or false

14:29 info and without legal parental authorization.

14:32 And the legal ramifications don't stop there.

14:34 Christy is from Tennessee,

14:35 which has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country.

14:38 Parts of the law are being challenged in court, but as it stands right now,

14:42 it is still illegal to physically help a minor go

14:44 across state lines to obtain an abortion without parental consent.

14:47 Tennessee calls this abortion trafficking.

14:50 Someone convicted could face nearly a year in jail,

14:52 fines, and a civil lawsuit on top of it.

14:54 If you want to know more about abortion laws and a real

14:56 doctor's take on abortion and the pit, check out Mama Dr.

14:59 Jones's video about this episode.

15:01 These are Abbott's fetal measurements from yesterday, and these are mine.

15:06 105 and 112.

15:08 Well, ultrasound is an art, not a science.

15:10 Even in the very best hands,

15:12 the EGA differential can be within 3 to 5 days in the first trimester.

15:15 Definitely room for error.

15:16 Not if you're here for a medication abortion,

15:18 you're past the mandated 11we cut off.

15:21 I didn't get a single measurement under 11 weeks.

15:23 So, what are you saying?

15:24 That Abbott lowballed his measurements to help

15:26 a teen get the abortion that she wants?

15:29 Maybe.

15:30 Well, then you've got two choices.

15:31 You can go with Abbott's measurements, or you can redo your measurements,

15:34 go back in and pick an angle that shows 11 weeks or less.

15:37 Please tell me you're joking.

15:38 I love you, Dr.

15:39 Robbie, but falsifying medical records is a serious state and federal crime,

15:42 and he could lose his license because of it.

15:44 Dr.

15:45 Collins refuses precisely because she understands the stakes.

15:48 Does the audience sympathize with him?

15:50 Well, of course.

15:50 The show frames it that way deliberately.

15:52 Abbott falsifies records the night before.

15:54 Robbie falsified records again in the morning.

15:57 and Collins eventually deleted her own documentation on Robbie's instruction.

16:00 That's three physicians exposed to criminal liability

16:03 and medical board proceedings on a single patient.

16:06 They created a lot of evidence that could come back to haunt them.

16:09 But one more thing the show gets wrong is in the specifics.

16:11 It says 11 weeks is the Pennsylvania limit for medication abortion.

16:15 In reality, Pennsylvania law at the time

16:17 permitted surgical abortion up to 24 weeks.

16:20 So that was still a potential option for this patient.

16:22 The FDA approved limit for medication abortion is

16:24 10 weeks with some clinical guidelines extending to 11.

16:28 Either way, the 11we figure is simply

16:30 a clinical guideline for medication abortion specifically,

16:32 not a statutory limit.

16:34 A surgical abortion at 12 or 13 weeks would have been entirely legal.

16:38 Nobody in that hospital mentions this option.

16:40 Do you know where your son is now?

16:43 No, but he hasn't done anything.

16:45 Officer, why are you here?

16:46 We received the call that her son David has

16:48 created a list of girls he would like to eliminate.

16:51 Who called you?

16:53 Do you know anything about this list?

16:55 Somebody called you.

16:56 Who?

16:56 Somebody from my hospital.

17:00 Uh, Dr.

17:00 McKay.

17:01 This thread plays out in the background of season 1,

17:04 and the show manages to get the nuances just right.

17:07 What happens when someone makes written threats in a private diary?

17:10 Legally, it's a gray area.

17:12 The starting point is Terasoft V.

17:14 regents of the University of California,

17:15 which says clinicians may have a duty to warn or protect

17:18 when a patient poses a credible threat to identifiable victims.

17:22 On paper, this looks like a clean case.

17:24 A list of names likely satisfies the identifiable victim's requirement.

17:28 But that's only half the test.

17:30 The legal question isn't whether someone is threatened.

17:32 It's whether a reasonable clinician would believe harm is serious

17:35 and imminent based on what they know at that moment,

17:38 which requires them to think about things like how specific the threat is,

17:41 whether the person has access to weapons, and their immediate behavior.

17:45 When we're talking about a teenager drawing up a hit list,

17:47 it's often hard to know whether the person is making a real actionable

17:51 threat or just trying their hand at edging some bad edge lord poetry.

17:55 You might say common sense dictates we heir on the side of caution,

17:58 but that's not what the law says.

18:00 I talked about this in my video

18:01 about the Michigan teenager who killed four students.

18:03 There were serious issues in that case about

18:05 whether his parents or teachers should have intervened.

18:08 The more important consideration for the doctors of the pit,

18:10 is who actually has the duty.

18:12 Terasoft comes out of mental health treatment.

18:15 ER physicians are in a more ambiguous position,

18:17 especially under Pennsylvania law,

18:19 which generally requires a specific and immediate

18:21 threat before a duty to warn is triggered.

18:23 That arguably gives Robbie some legal cover for hesitating.

18:27 So, what are they supposed to do?

18:28 Well, there are a number of steps they

18:30 can take from warning potential victims to contacting police.

18:33 They landed on a temporary psychiatric hold,

18:35 which is legally defensible because it removes

18:37 the immediate risk without breaching confidentiality more than necessary.

18:41 To call a 302 in the state of Pennsylvania,

18:44 the petitioner needs to admit to having witnessed the concerning behavior.

18:47 And you need a physician and a social worker to sign off,

18:51 which both Kar and I can do.

18:54 What if I'm wrong?

18:56 then you apologize and we will help you

18:59 explain that this came from concern for his safety.

19:01 The show did a good job of illustrating the legal

19:03 tension here because both acting and not acting carry risk.

19:07 Move too slowly and you risk liability if harm was foreseeable.

19:10 Act too aggressively and you risk violating Dr.

19:12 patient confidentiality or overreacting to a threat that wasn't real.

19:16 Hi David, I didn't shoot anybody.

19:24 I wouldn't do that.

19:25 I know.

19:33 Did you make a list of girls you wanted to hurt?

19:38 Where's my mom?

19:39 Did you make a list?

19:40 I want to go home.

19:42 You're going to get to go home.

19:44 But first, we have to keep you here for a mandatory 72-hour hold.

19:48 What?

19:48 The show's final twist is I'll give you 3 seconds to click

19:51 way to this time code if you don't want it spoiled.

19:54 We good?

19:54 Our adorable little edge lord David is not the pitfest shooter.

19:58 Robbiey's caution looks vindicated.

20:00 Legally though, the outcome doesn't matter.

20:02 The law doesn't judge outcomes.

20:03 It judges whether the response was reasonable given what was known at the time.

20:07 But you'd be hardressed to find a prosecutor willing to go

20:09 after a doctor for not detaining a potential mass shooter who wasn't.

20:12 Which is why the story line perfectly illustrates why

20:15 mandatory disclosure cases are so difficult in real life.

20:18 It's not about who was right.

20:20 It's about how hard it is to evaluate whether someone

20:22 poses an imminent credible threat to the safety of others.

20:25 Now, let's talk about Dr.

20:27 Langden.

20:27 Because this storyline is a legal onion,

20:30 every layer you peel back reveals another layer, and all of them sting.

20:34 I heard there's been some inconsistencies with meds intended for your patients.

20:41 What?

20:42 Frank, have you been helping yourself to benzo from the ER?

20:47 Yeah, I've been stealing blood, too.

20:53 I asked you a question.

20:55 Wait, are you serious?

20:57 What are you doing?

21:00 Really?

21:02 Santos?

21:04 Whatever the hell she told you is[ __] I didn't mention Santos.

21:10 You didn't have to.

21:12 I told you she is trouble.

21:15 Have you ever taken a patient's medication?

21:18 This is insane.

21:19 This is completely[ __] insane.

21:20 I need you to open your locker.

21:21 Yeah, right.

21:22 Open your locker.

21:23 You're going to rig.

21:24 Open your[ __] locker or I will have security smash it open.

21:49 Is the imprint code on these pills going to match Louis lirium?

21:59 Go home, Frank.

22:00 Dr.

22:00 Langden stealing a patient's benzoazipene pills

22:02 leads us in five different directions simultaneously.

22:06 One, is the hospital required to report the theft to police?

22:08 Well, under Pennsylvania law, a hospital is not automatically required

22:12 to report employee theft to law enforcement.

22:14 It's not like mandated reporting for child

22:16 abuse where the law creates an affirmative obligation.

22:19 We saw that in season 1 when a child ate dad's cannabis gummies,

22:22 the hospital had to report.

22:23 However, if those pills are controlled substances,

22:26 we've entered federal territory.

22:27 The Controlled Substances Act creates DEA reporting obligations.

22:31 Hospitals are registered with the DEA to handle controlled substances,

22:34 and significant discrepancies in controlled substance inventories,

22:37 like drugs going missing because a physician helped himself,

22:40 trigger mandatory reporting to the DEA.

22:42 And if they fail, fines can be steep.

22:44 Two California medical centers had to fork over

22:46 $2.2 million in fines for over 600 recordkeeping discrepancies.

22:51 The hospital doesn't have to call local police,

22:53 but they have to account for the missing medications in their DEA records.

22:56 And once the DEA is involved, law enforcement is effectively in the picture

23:00 whether the hospital wanted it or not.

23:02 Short answer, the hospital probably doesn't have to call 911,

23:05 but it absolutely cannot pretend this didn't happen.

23:07 Two, are they required to report to the state medical board?

23:10 Well, this one is clearer.

23:11 Pennsylvania's medical practice act requires institutions

23:14 to report disciplinary actions taken against physicians.

23:17 If the hospital took any action against Langden,

23:19 like suspension or mandatory leave,

23:21 that action itself triggers a report to the board.

23:23 A doctor stealing patient medication checks that box with a Sharpie.

23:27 Probably one of those extra fat Sharpies.

23:29 And once the board knows, Langden is looking at a formal investigation.

23:33 Potential outcomes range from a reprimand

23:35 to suspension to full license revocation.

23:37 Three, what about the physician health program?

23:39 But here's where it gets so much more interesting than most people realize.

23:42 If Langden's pill theft is connected to a substance abuse issue,

23:45 and a physician stealing control substances from a patient

23:47 is a blazing neon sign pointing toward addiction,

23:50 then there's a parallel track that exists specifically for this situation,

23:54 the Physician Health Program, or PHP.

23:56 Every state has some version of a PHP.

23:59 In Pennsylvania, it's called the Professional Health Monitoring Program.

24:02 These programs exist because the medical profession decided

24:04 that criminalizing addiction wasn't always the best practice.

24:07 Sometimes impaired physicians need a pathway back to safe practice.

24:11 So, this program gets the doctor into treatment

24:13 where they're rigorously monitored before and after treatment.

24:15 The PHP happens outside the public disciplinary process.

24:19 A PHP doesn't immunize a doctor from criminal liability.

24:22 If a doctor isn't ruled,

24:23 compliance with the program can mitigate criminal penalties.

24:26 It cuts the other way, too.

24:27 If the doctor doesn't comply or continues to practice while impaired,

24:30 prosecutors could ask for more severe penalties.

24:33 Four, does the hospital have to tell his colleagues?

24:36 Santos and Langdon have beef because she's

24:37 the one who turned him for taking meds.

24:39 I'm sorry, what?

24:41 Short answer, no.

24:42 Because PHP participation is confidential.

24:45 When Langden entered the PHP,

24:46 he became a patient receiving treatment for substance use.

24:49 HIPPA protections apply to Langden.

24:51 So, a physician who voluntarily enters a PHP before formal

24:54 board action can avoid having the matter become a public record.

24:57 But this conversation was about him stealing pills from a patient, which Dr.

25:00 Robbie probably shouldn't have blurted out.

25:02 What he did was confirm that Langden committed a crime,

25:05 which doesn't go to his treatment status.

25:07 So when a colleague asks,

25:08 "Why wasn't I told?" The frustrating but legally correct answer

25:11 is because you don't have a right to be told.

25:13 The hospital's obligation is to ensure

25:15 patient safety through appropriate restrictions,

25:17 not to circulate the details of why those restrictions exist.

25:20 Maddening from a collegial trust standpoint, absolutely.

25:24 Legally correct, also absolutely.

25:26 But there's one really important exception.

25:28 If Langden's impairment creates a patient safety risk,

25:31 the hospital must restrict his practice.

25:33 So that brings us to legal issue number five.

25:35 Can he ethically treat the same patient he stole from 10 months ago?

25:39 I'm sorry.

25:39 It was uh was not only wrong and utterly unprofessional,

25:44 but it was a betrayal of my hypocratic oath, and it was a[ __] crime.

25:49 This is an almost textbook conflict of interest.

25:51 The ethical answer is no.

25:53 He can't treat Lewis, even if he apologized and confessed.

25:55 That might be one of the 12 steps, but it doesn't erase the ethical problem.

25:59 The AMA code of medical ethics is clear that physicians must avoid

26:02 situations where personal interests compromise

26:04 or even appear to compromise patient care.

26:07 A physician who stole medication from a specific patient

26:10 has fundamentally breached the trust relationship with that patient.

26:13 The doctor patient relationship is basically fiduciary.

26:16 You owe your patient loyalty, honesty, and care.

26:18 You cannot simultaneously be the person who violated that trust

26:22 and the person they're supposed to trust with their health.

26:24 Beyond the ethics, there's a practical legal exposure.

26:26 If anything goes wrong with that patient's care,

26:29 even something completely unrelated to the theft,

26:31 the fact that Langden stole from this patient and then continued treating them,

26:34 becomes exhibit A in the malpractice case.

26:37 Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,

26:39 this is the doctor who stole my client's medication

26:41 and then continued treating her as though nothing happened.

26:44 The hospital should have reassigned the patient immediately.

26:46 Langdon continuing to treat the same patient he stole from is

26:49 a failure of institutional safeguards

26:51 on top of the individual ethical violation.

26:54 Lastly, when Langden took the benzo pills,

26:56 he committed two misdemeanors under Pennsylvania law.

26:58 First, possession of a controlled substance,

27:00 and second, theft by unlawful taking.

27:02 Now, being charged with and convicted of misdemeanor isn't good for a doctor,

27:06 but it may not be as professionally and personally devastating as a felony.

27:10 And he probably avoids a felony.

27:12 There is a felony for acquiring a controlled substance through subtuge.

27:16 And that sounds like it might capture Langden's theft.

27:19 But in a 2002 case, the Pennsylvania Superior Court held that a pharmacist who

27:23 secretly pocketed some hydrocodone isn't acquiring that controlled

27:26 substance by subtrauge or deception or fraud.

27:28 It's just plain old theft.

27:30 So, good for Langden, I guess.

27:45 In the state of Pennsylvania,

27:46 it's not illegal to drive a motorcycle without a helmet so

27:48 long as you're 21 or older and you have either been licensed

27:51 to operate a motorcycle for at least two full calendar years

27:53 or have completed a pendot or motorcycle

27:56 safety foundation approved motorcycle safety course.

27:58 But you should always wear one.

28:00 You're not Dr.

28:01 Robbie or Maverick.

28:07 So, here's where I come down.

28:08 Dr.

28:08 Mike called The Pit the most legally accurate medical show of all time.

28:11 It also happens to be by a significant margin

28:14 the most legally literate medical drama currently on television.

28:17 It's not perfect that July 4th deposition is going to follow me to my grave.

28:21 But it names real statutes.

28:23 It depicts genuine tensions between patient rights,

28:25 institutional obligations, and law enforcement authority.

28:28 It reflects the current legal reality we all now live

28:30 in as experienced by real world doctors and healthcare workers.

28:34 And it does all of it without preaching

28:35 a message or nagging the audience to do better.

28:38 Hell, most legal dramas treat the law as an obstacle

28:41 the writers and producers have to heroically overcome.

28:43 I'm looking at you, Ryan Murphy, and all fair.

28:45 But The Pit treats law as part of the actual environment these people work in.

28:49 The law protects them, fails them,

28:50 and often forces them into choices that don't have any good answers.

28:54 That's reality.

28:55 And that's why I'm giving the show

28:56 an overall legal accuracy score of a not perfect,

29:00 but the fact that I'm even grading it

29:02 on a curve with reality instead of just laughing at it,

29:05 that tells you something.

29:06 Now, all this highlights why it's so important to get

29:08 a great lawyer when you're dealing with your own case.

29:10 Now, after I started this channel,

29:11 every week I'd get hundreds of comments and emails

29:13 from viewers who are dealing with legal problems,

29:15 and they'd ask, "Can you help me find a lawyer?

29:18 How do I know if this attorney is any

29:19 good?" And there's a massive gap in our justice system.

29:21 is that people don't know how to find

29:22 the right lawyer for their specific situation.

29:25 They're scared.

29:26 They're overwhelmed.

29:26 And they end up doing nothing or hiring the first attorney who calls them back.

29:30 And that really bothered me.

29:31 So, I started to wonder, what if there was a different way?

29:34 What if we could build a law firm that actually lived

29:35 up to the values that I talk about on this channel?

29:38 Transparency, accessibility,

29:39 and putting clients first instead of chasing billable hours.

29:42 A firm where you don't need to pay anything upfront and your lawyers

29:44 only get paid if you do to maximize your opportunity for justice.

29:47 So, a few years ago, I decided to fix that problem.

29:49 I decided to start my own personal injury law firm.

29:52 And honestly, it wasn't an easy choice.

29:54 But I realized I was in this unique position.

29:56 I had this platform, this community, and the experience.

29:58 Not to get rich.

29:59 Trust me, there are easier ways to make money than starting a law practice.

30:03 But we did it because access to justice shouldn't be a luxury.

30:06 Because finding the right legal representation shouldn't

30:08 feel like playing Russian roulette with your future.

30:10 And when you work with my firm, you're not just getting a lawyer.

30:12 You're getting a team that understands that behind

30:13 every case is a real person with real stakes.

30:15 If we can't represent you or you're in a state where we don't practice,

30:18 we'll take the time to try to match you

30:19 with an attorney in my personal network of lawyers.

30:21 A national network of some of the best lawyers

30:23 in the country who actually specialize in what you're going through,

30:26 located right where you are, not just whoever happens to be available.

30:29 So, if you're dealing with a personal injury,

30:31 a car crash, a data breach, sexual harassment,

30:33 a social security or workers comp issue,

30:35 give us a call at the number on screen or click on the link below.

30:38 Now, I can't represent everyone that watches this channel.

30:40 I wish I could, but what I can do is make sure that when you need legal help,

30:43 you have somewhere to turn to that you can trust.

30:46 So whether it's me handling your case

30:47 or the incredible attorneys we partnered with, you'll

30:49 get the same principles of honesty and education that we bring to every video.

30:52 And if you're dealing with a legal issue and you're not sure where to start,

30:55 check out the link in the description.

30:56 Let's have a conversation about how we can help you find not just a lawyer,

30:59 but the right lawyer for your situation.

31:01 Because at the end of the day, that's what this is all about.

31:03 Making sure that when life gets complicated, you don't have to face it alone.

31:06 Which is why when you need a lawyer,

31:07 you don't just need legal team, you need the Eagle