Many Louisiana residents have likely experienced depression at one time or another, and for some people, sadly, this is a chronic condition that they struggle with throughout their lives. Many people seek the guidance of a professional to help them deal with this challenging disease, and anyone who has been in this type of situation can attest to the fact that trust is a crucial component of such a relationship. However, sometimes, a mental health professional cannot be trusted and may engage in questionable activities when dealing with patients. This seems to be what happened when three women filed medical malpractice lawsuits against a prominent psychiatrist in another state.
The psychiatrist had been treating the three women for depression. The women accused the man of drawing them into demeaning sexual relationships during their treatment and alleged that he was preying on vulnerable patients. According to the lawsuits, the women had each traveled from a different state to receive treatment from the 57-year-old psychiatrist. They claimed he had given them Ketamine (an anaesthetic) as part of their treatment. Each of the women also said that her professional relationship with the man eventually became sexual and that their encounters sometimes involved him beating her with a belt.
Reportedly, the man’s lawyers and the three women recently reached out-of-court settlements, although the terms and settlement sums have not been disclosed. The psychiatrist has denied the claims on social media. The Board of Medicine had recently suspended his medical license, and now that the settlements have been reached, he has said his focus will be on overturning that suspension and restoring his license so that he can resume helping patients.
Although this mental health professional may indeed successfully resume his medical practice, unfortunately, these three former patients have likely experienced, and will continue to experience, mental and emotional anguish due to this breach of trust. Any person who has endured a similar situation and feels he or she has been a victim of medical malpractice in the state of Louisiana may consider contacting a attorney with experience in this area of the law. Such a professional can explain options for legal recourse and possible compensation for emotional and/or monetary losses suffered.
