Following sledding and auto accidents, a man sought treatment from Dr G. for back and shoulder strain. During this time, he was prescribed several different pain medications, including oxycodone, carisoprodol, and alprazolam.
The motor vehicle accident occurred in April 2008 and resulted in a compression fracture. In January 2009, a neurosurgeon performed a surgical alternative, and the patient was discharged the next day with a prescription for 30-mg oxycodone. This dosage was twice the amount that Dr G. had already prescribed, but Dr G. advised the patient to continue with his original prescriptions. Three days after the procedure, the man was found dead with oxycodone, carisoprodol, and alprazolam in his system.
The plaintiff alleged negligence in the prescription of this drug combination, which caused respiratory depression and arrest. The defendant claimed that the patient died from aggravation of severe chronic cardiovascular disease and that the combination of medications in his system could not have led to death in such a drug-tolerant individual.
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