Members of the Texas state dental board can no longer act as expert witnesses for other dentists facing malpractice lawsuits without first getting permission from others on the board. Earlier this year, several former board members said they saw no ethical problems with being paid as dentistry expert witnesses for dentists facing lawsuits. One board member did admit that his testimony most likely received more weight in court because of his position on the board. According to Statesman.com:
A similar provision covers the Texas Medical Board, which licenses doctors, physician assistants and others. Members of that board also have worked as experts for doctors facing lawsuits…. Gary McDonald of Kingwood, the dental board’s presiding officer, said he supports the legislation, adding that for nearly a year the board has had an internal agreement to avoid doing expert witness work.