Inspanningsverplichting vs Resultaatsverplichting: Differing Legal Consequences

 Een resultaatsverplichting is in de geneeskunde moeilijk te hanteren en alleen van toepassing op beperkt terrein (bijv. het juiste orgaan opereren, toezeggingen aan de patint ook nakomen) - Raimond Walthere Michel Giard, "Aansprakelijkheid van artsen, Juridische theorie en medische praktijk", proefschrift, Universiteit Leiden, 2005

Een arts heeft een inspanningsverplichting en geen resultaatsverplichting. - Bouman Advocaten

The ultimate question remains, however. How do we sue a doctor then? There remains an option to sue a doctor provided that he/she guarantees that he/she can cure his/her patient 100%. Once he/she provides such promise to his/her patient, at the same time, the legal protection under inspanningsverplichting afforded to him/her automatically is erased and is subsequently replaced by the resultaatsverplichting. A doctor who cannot deliver his/her promise to cure his/her patient thus can be sued in a court of law under Article 58 of the Law No. 36 of 2009 on Health.

(1) Anyone has the right to sue for damages a person, a health professional, and/or a healthcare provider who causes losses as a result of his/her/its fault or negligence in relation to the health service he/she receives. (2) The lawsuit for damages as mentioned in paragraph (1) is not applicable for healthcare professionals who performed emergency lifesaving or prevention of disability. - Art. 58

As a doctor-patient relationship is borne out of law, thus, it can be categorized as een verbintenis uit de wet (a relationship which exists by law) and not een verbintenis uit overeenkomst (a relationship which exists by the virtue of a contract), thus the lawsuit brought before doctors by patients shall be premised under onrechtmatigedaad or tort as provided under Art. 1365 of the Indonesian Civil Code (Burgerlijk Wetboek voor Indonesie).