CHARLESTON – A Kanawha County woman alleges her husband died of opioid overdose under the care of Hope Clinic.
Mary Elizabeth Robinson filed a lawsuit Dec. 14 in Kanawha Circuit Court against Hope Clinic PLLC, PPPFD Inc. and Dr. Sanjay R. Metha on behalf of her late husband, Heath Wayne Robinson. Citing egregious departures from acceptable medical practices, the plaintiff claims her husband died as a result of his doctor’s negligence.
Acting as administratrix of the estate of Heath Wayne Robinson, the decedent’s wife alleges her husband was subjected to lethal doses of opioids, resulting in his death on Oct. 24, 2013. The deceased Robinson was seeking treatment at Hope Clinic for a history of pancreatitis with chronic intractable abdominal pain when he was prescribed the medication that allegedly killed him, the complaint states..
Prior to his treatment at Hope Clinic on Oct. 15, 2013, Robinson had been taking 300 milligrams of extended-release morphine and 270 milligrams of oxycodone daily under the care of another physician, whom he had not seen for several weeks until his treatment with Metha. During the lag time between treatment facilities, Robinson had run out of his prescription. The claim states that abstaining from such strong opioids results in a lowered tolerance, which should have prompted Robinson’s new doctor to prescribe a lowered dose. Instead, Robinson received the same dose and was dead nine days later with toxicology reports recording lethal ranges of oxycodone and morphine, according to the complaint.
Robinson is seeking compensation and punitive damages for the alleged wrongful death of her husband. She is represented by James D. McQueen and Ralph J. Hagy of McQueen Davis PLLC along with Christoper J. Heavens of Heavens Law Firm. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Tod J. Kaufman.
Kanawha Circuit Court Case Number 15-C-2206