Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing and using this website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and all applicable laws and regulations. If you are using our website on behalf of an organization, you represent and warrant that you have the authority to bind that organization to these Terms.

2. Use of Website

Permitted Use

You may use our website for lawful purposes only, including:

• Learning about our surgical services and medical practice
• Scheduling appointments and consultations
• Accessing patient resources and educational materials
• Contacting our office with questions or concerns

Prohibited Use

You agree not to use our website for any of the following purposes:

1. Violating any local, state, federal, or international law or regulation
2. Transmitting any harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, or otherwise objectionable material
3. Impersonating any person or entity, or falsely stating or misrepresenting your affiliation with any person or entity
4. Interfering with or disrupting the website or servers or networks connected to the website
5. Attempting to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the website, other accounts, computer systems, or networks
6. Using any automated system, including "robots," "spiders," or "scrapers" to access the website
7. Collecting or harvesting any personally identifiable information from the website
8. Using the website for any commercial purpose without our prior written consent

3. Medical Disclaimer

No Doctor-Patient Relationship: Use of this website and communication through our contact forms or email does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. A doctor-patient relationship is established only through an in-person consultation and examination at our office.

Emergency Situations: If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately. Do not use this website to communicate urgent medical needs.

4. Intellectual Property Rights

All content on this website, including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, images, videos, and software, is the property of Walters Surgical Associates PA or its content suppliers and is protected by United States and international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, republish, download, store, or transmit any of the material on our website without our prior written consent, except for:

• Temporary storage in RAM incidental to your accessing and viewing the website
• Storage of files automatically cached by your web browser for display enhancement purposes
• Printing or downloading one copy of a reasonable number of pages for your personal, non-commercial use

5. User Submissions

If you submit any content to our website, including but not limited to comments, reviews, testimonials, or feedback ("User Content"), you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, and fully sublicensable right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, and display such User Content.

You represent and warrant that:

• You own or control all rights to the User Content
• The User Content is accurate and not misleading
• The User Content does not violate these Terms or any applicable law
• The User Content will not cause injury to any person or entity

We reserve the right to remove any User Content at any time for any reason without notice.

6. Privacy and Protected Health Information

Your privacy is important to us. Our collection and use of personal information is governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

As a healthcare provider, we comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other applicable privacy laws. Protected Health Information (PHI) is handled in accordance with our Notice of Privacy Practices.

Do not submit PHI through unsecured channels such as contact forms or email. For secure communication regarding your medical information, please contact our office directly.

7. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites that are not owned or controlled by us. We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party websites.

We do not endorse or make any representations about third-party websites. You acknowledge and agree that we shall not be responsible or liable for any damage or loss caused by or in connection with use of any third-party website.

8. Disclaimer of Warranties

THIS WEBSITE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS WITHOUT ANY WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

We do not warrant that:

• The website will be available at all times or uninterrupted
• The website will be free from errors, viruses, or other harmful components
• The information on the website is accurate, complete, or current
• Defects in the website will be corrected

9. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WALTERS SURGICAL ASSOCIATES PA SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUES, WHETHER INCURRED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, OR ANY LOSS OF DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, RESULTING FROM:

• Your access to or use of or inability to access or use the website
• Any conduct or content of any third party on the website
• Any content obtained from the website
• Unauthorized access, use, or alteration of your transmissions or content

10. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Walters Surgical Associates PA, its officers, directors, employees, agents, and affiliates from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, expenses, or fees (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to your violation of these Terms or your use of the website.

11. Modifications to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Terms on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of the website after any such changes constitutes your acceptance of the new Terms.

We encourage you to review these Terms periodically to stay informed of updates.

12. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of North Carolina, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any legal action or proceeding arising under these Terms will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Columbus County, North Carolina.

13. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be struck and the remaining provisions shall be enforced to the fullest extent under law.

14. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Walters Surgical Associates PA regarding the use of our website and supersede all prior and contemporaneous agreements, proposals, or representations, written or oral.