Dr. Shaun Murphy Is Getting Sued for Malpractice on 'The Good Doctor' — Who's the Plaintiff?

When it comes to the life and workload of any medical professional, there are good days and truly bad days when people's lives and livelihoods hang in the balance. It's even true in the world of The Good Doctor, the popular medical drama on ABC that follows Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore), an autistic surgeon with savant syndrome and a remarkable photographic memory that gives him an edge in his operations.

Yet despite his best efforts to help those in need, even his most successful operations don't always have the best results or reactions. In tonight's episode, Shaun is being sued for malpractice by a disgruntled patient from his past. He'll receive help from an up-and-coming lawyer with whom he resonates almost immediately, but the plaintiff in this case isn't going to go down without a fight. Who is the person suing Shaun in The Good Doctor? Keep reading to find out.

Following up on last week's shocking final moments, Shaun approaches a law firm as he gears up to take on a malpractice suit. He gets legal representation from Joni DeGoot (Kennedy McMann), a prodigal lawyer who lives with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Though she has a brilliant mind and an uncanny ability to hone in on minute details in a case, her superior attorney Janet Stewart (Felicity Huffman) warns Shaun that "Joni's deficits are more significant than [he thinks] they are."

Shaun is quick to argue that people have had the same reservations about him in the medical field due to his autism, but that he's been able to succeed as a surgeon for years. Because of this, he has confidence that Joni will be able to help him in ways that others can't in this backdoor pilot for a potential spin-off.

Whether or not Joni will be able manage her more debilitating OCD symptoms in court, Shaun will need all the help he can get against the plaintiff in the lawsuit.

Shaun is being sued by a disgruntled patient from his past, portrayed by actor Micheal Weston. During an emergency call that took place some time ago, Shaun ultimately made the call to amputate the plaintiff's left hand. Though we don't know all the details as of this writing, the nature of the amputation is murky enough that the patient is willing to sue over the debacle.

The titular good doctor has made tough calls like this in the past and has even amputated several limbs from several patients before. Unfortunately, the results of some of his procedures run the risk of leaving the patient in a worse state than he could have realized.

How will Shaun and Joni fare during this trial? Catch tonight's new episode of The Good Doctor tonight at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.