70 King cases apparently settled

CHARLESTON – Seventy lawsuits against a former Putnam County surgeon apparently have been settled by a hospital corporation and its former subsidiary.

Hospital Corporation of America and Putnam General Hospital settled with 70 clients of the Charleston law firm of Curry and Tolliver in cases involving Dr. John A. King.

The amounts of those U.S. District Court settlements and the attorney fees won't be disclosed for several weeks because some details haven't been finalized, according to a story in the Charleston Gazette.

King, who was named as a defendant in 124 malpractice suits in Putnam County, hasn't agreed to any settlements. In November, he filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in federal court in Alabama, where he also has two suits pending against him.

In October, King filed a suit in October in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee against HCA, Putnam General and several administrators and physicians. He seeks more than $531 million in damages. He says he should get the money because of an agreement he had with Putnam General before he left. The suit is similar to one King filed in federal court in West Virginia. That lawsuit was dismissed.

King performed more than 500 surgeries at Putnam General between late 2002 and mid-2003.

King has lost or surrendered medical licenses in states including West Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.

In December, King filed personal bankruptcy papers. He listed his only asset as a 1993 Volvo worth $500.

King, who changed his name to Christopher Wallace Martin in 2006, worked at Putnam General Hospital from November 2002 to June 2003. Last year, Charleston Area Medical Center bought Putnam General from HCA. The facility is now known as CAMC-Teays Valley Hospital.