Canberra surgeon Dr Richard Hocking has had three legal actions brought by patients against him in the Supreme Court withdrawn or discontinued, according to his lawyers.
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Dr Hocking is in the midst of a separate, long-running legal battle with the ACT Medical Board which attempted to suspend him a year ago.
The suspension was lifted, and he is currently able to practice but with some restrictions placed on him, while his appeal continues in the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
He also has other ongoing legal matters regarding individual patients.
The three cases withdrawn or discontinued related to allegations concerning component position and the performance of an arthroscopy.
"Dr Hocking is not prepared to discuss specific allegations about the care of former patients or any former legal cases, except to say that he feels vindicated that a number of claims against him have been abandoned," the surgeon's lawyer from Minter Ellison said.
"Dr Hocking was prepared to defend all allegations vigorously. Dr Hocking denies he was negligent.
"Of the 5 claims filed with the court (relating to individual patients), 3 have been withdrawn or discontinued."
"Of the remaining two, one was being defended and the other had not been delivered to Dr Hocking meaning it may never go ahead."
Anna Walsh, principal in medical negligence at Maurice Blackburn which represented patients in two of the withdrawn cases, said the two claims were "filed to protect limitation periods which was a standard practice".
"If it is decided that the claims cannot proceed for a range of reasons, they are then withdrawn," she said.
"While we have discontinued two cases, we are investigating others and are seeking expert advice on the merits of those legal claims."
