Murder Results from Medical Malpractice

A recent court ruling has determined that medical malpractice was at play in the murder of a Georgian woman who was stabbed to death by her son. The psychotic rage that sparked the stabbing occurred after the mentally ill patient's anti-psychotic medication was discontinued by his practicing psychiatrist.

The drugs were assigned to the Georgian man to help control his violent outbursts and sexual impulses. However, the psychiatrist discontinued the medication in order to prevent the development of a syndrome he claimed could be dangerous to the patient. Shortly after the termination of the medicine, the mentally ill man began having nightmares and said that the devil was giving him orders. Despite these claims, the medication was not reinstated.

After the attack and murder, the man's father sued for medical malpractice. According to him, the negligence of the doctor is what led to the psychotic state of his son at the time of the murder.

After years of debate, the courts finally came to an agreement in favor of the father's accusation, stating that a psychiatric disorder could prevent someone from knowingly committing murder or any other illegal act. The jury's decision now allows the family to sue for medical malpractice.

Cases of medical malpractice come in all forms, not just those pertaining to psychiatry. Throughout the nation, instances of malpractice occur within the medical field, from cases of birth injury to wrongful death. The complete trust we place in our doctors and surgeons is sometimes unfounded and can lead to injury, misdiagnoses and more.

The technicality of medical malpractice claims is highly complex and best addressed by an experienced Jacksonville personal injury attorney who knows the ins and outs of the law. At Ellerin | Hutchinson, our team of lawyers genuinely care about the wellbeing of our clients. We do everything in our power to make sure that the physical and emotional damages you and your loved ones have experienced as a result of medical malpractice do not go unnoticed. We provide the best legal defense to each of our clients to help ease this difficult time.