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Doctor faces medical negligence lawsuits and charges in absentia

On Behalf of | Jan 17, 2014 | Uncategorized |

Having troubles with your neck and back might be a sign that you need to have surgery, but that isn’t always the case. One doctor, whose medical license was suspended in Kentucky in November, is facing criminal and civil trials due to alleged medical malpractice. The plaintiff in the first of the 175 civil lawsuits against a Pakistani doctor took the stand to tell the jury her side of the story. More civil lawsuits are expected to be filed by the end of February.

The plaintiff alleges that the doctor told her she was imminent danger of becoming paralyzed and needed surgery. Before her surgery, she was suffering from intermittent stabbing pain. After the surgery, the pain was constant. She says the pain after the surgery sent her to the emergency room. She claims that another doctor told her the pain she is experiencing is from incorrectly implanted screws from the operation. She had the screws removed and the pain was resolved.

The doctor wasn’t at the court proceedings for the medical negligence civil lawsuit. It is believed that he fled the country without a passport and is back in his home country of Pakistan. He is facing criminal charges and was ordered to turn over his passport as a condition of his release. At a deposition on Nov. 29, a judge ruled that he could be tried in absentia. An arrest warrant was issued for him in December by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

His criminal charges include multiple allegations. Prosecutors allege that he signed prescription pads and allowed others to write Oxycodone prescriptions while he was out of the country. In addition, it is alleged that pain injection locations were inconsistent with the area of reported pain, and that he performed unnecessary surgeries. Also prosecutors say that he would falsely tell patients they were at risk of becoming paralyzed and that he ignored or didn’t read x-rays of his patients. Finally, it is alleged that he lied to other medical professionals and organizations to further his scheme.

If you have been the victim of a doctor whose treatments made your condition worse, you might be able to seek compensation via a civil lawsuit. Seeking the help of an experienced Kentucky medical malpractice attorney may help you learn about the types of compensation you may be entitled to in a civil action.

Source: WCPO, “Dr. Atiq Durrani: Crystal Pierce testifies in case against former Mason spine surgeon” No author given, Jan. 08, 2014

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