Michael Jackson: Medical Ethics and What Went Wrong

In June of 2009, Michael Jackson died following a cardiac arrest. Jackson suffered from severe insomnia and anxiety, and Dr. Conrad Murray, a physician hired to look after Jackson’s medical needs during preparations for a major world tour, had apparently undertaken to treat Jackson’s insomnia in his home using a drug with known deadly potential: propofol. This is not a pediatric case, nor is it even typical in cases of medical negligence. But the Michael Jackson case illustrates many issues concerning legal standards with regard to negligence when it results in a patient death and practice standards with regard to sedation, professionalism, and the ethical obligations of physicians. In this chapter, we will undertake to discuss the Jackson case from both legal and professional perspectives, and then to compare elements of the Jackson case with that of another case of sedation that also ended in patient death, but not in criminal charges of homicide.