A Boston pediatrician who was blogging under the name of “Flea” about a personal injury lawsuit in which he was a defendant quickly came to terms with the family of a boy suing him for their son’s death after it was revealed during the trial that he was the arrogant blogger. Specifically, Robert P. Lindeman was sued by the family of Jaymes Binns, a 12-year-old boy who died of diabetic ketoacidosis in March of 2002, in a personal injury suit claiming that Lindeman failed to diagnose their son’s diabetes. A Boston Globe story detailed how Lindeman used his personal blog, the drfleablog, to ridicule the case of the Binns’ family and their lawyer Elizabeth N. Mulvey, who pulled out a surprise in court when she asked the doctor whether he was in fact Flea. Lindeman confessed to his alter-identity, settled the case a day later and took down his blog shortly thereafter.

So if you’re wondering why Lindeman would use the word “Flea,” here’s the medical explanation. A flea is apparently what surgeons call pediatricians in training. Neither Lindeman nor his attorney had any client on the case, even though the pediatrician did a lot of talking on his blog. Lindeman apparently revealed the strategy of the defense, accused the jury of dozing off, and even made fun of Mulvey for biting her nails during the case.

Lindeman’s arrogance was especially apparent in claims on the blog that the plaintiff was not going to win with its current approach of painting the defendant as a jerk. After his disclosure in court, Lindeman apparently felt the heat when Mulvey relayed that she was prepared to leak his unabashed comments about the jurors, lawyers and legal process. Lindeman came to a quick settlement, which was not revealed but described as being substantial. The parents of Jaymes Binns did not have any comment on the case.