A lawsuit has been filed in the Federal Court in New Orleans, Louisiana, by the parents of a man who died after overdosing on methadone. The wrongful death lawsuit lists a physician and a Louisiana insurance company as the defendants.
According to the lawsuit, the man who died was given the drug, Narcan, which is also known as methadone, in the emergency room of Tulane University Hospital in 2010. The doctor named as a defendant in the lawsuit ordered the Narcan and then discharged the man three hours later.
The man went home, where his roommate said he was having trouble talking or even standing. The man lay down on his couch and went to sleep. When his roommate checked on him a few hours later, he was not breathing. All attempts to resuscitate the man were futile.
According to the autopsy, the cause of the death was intoxication by more than one drug. The parents of the man allege in the lawsuit that the doctor should have admitted their son to the hospital so that he might have been monitored for more than three hours after receiving the Narcan. The parents believe their son’s respiratory distress could have been treated because it would have been recognized in time in the hospital, thereby saving his life.
The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of damages for wrongful death as well as other claims. In addition, the suit seeks courts costs and interest.
When a family has suffered the loss of a loved one because of medical malpractice, negligence or other grievous errors, some financial relief can be found through a civil action such as the lawsuit above. An experienced attorney can help victim’s families understand all of their options in a wrongful death civil lawsuit and represent them throughout the court proceedings.
Source: louisianarecord.com, “Parents sue Louisiana doctor following son’s methadone overdose” Michelle Keahey, Apr. 19, 2013
