Lake coroner named in wrongful death suit WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ABOUT WHO SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE?

This is something I would like to hear from the rest of you guys about. To get your opinions and your take on this. I know what I personally feel about it, but I am wondering if I am being too hard or maybe I have a lack of compassion. I think the one who should be held accountable here is the son. He lied to get methadone, he used methadone in addition to benzo's which is a BIG NO NO and one of the first things they tell you to stay away from when you start going to an MMT clinic. Obviously the mom knew he lied and misrepresented himself at the clinic so why didn't she call them and tell the truth?

A doctor is not a mind reader. It is YOUR responsibility to disclose all medications and your symptoms accurately. If you lie or with hold information, how can you blame the doctor when something happens because you were taking medication you had no business taking but were given because you LIED?

So if anyone is at fault here, it is the son and I would also think the mom since she didn't inform the clinic that he was not an opiate addict.

I don't know, like I said, I may just be looking at this the wrong way so I would really like to hear what others have to say about this.

Lake Coroner Named in Wrongful Death Suit

Keller accused of improperly prescribing methadone to Lindenhurst man who died in 2008

By Lisa Black, Tribune reporter

The mother of a Lindenhurst man who died of a drug overdose is suing Lake County Coroner Richard Keller in his capacity as a former methadone clinic director who treated the man for addiction.

Jill Vaughn filed a wrongful-death civil lawsuit against Keller and the now-defunct Green Dragonfly clinic early this month, seeking an unnamed amount of damages for alleged negligence.

Her son, Steven, 30, died Dec. 3, 2008, hours after being prescribed methadone during his second day of treatment at the Waukegan clinic. The clinic closed in August 2009 after state and federal inspections revealed numerous violations, officials said.

Keller, a licensed physician, is accused of improperly prescribing methadone to Vaughn. According to the lawsuit, Keller failed to order proper laboratory tests, including a urine test, and failed to properly evaluate Vaughn or record his medical history.

"I think the way they handled everything was irresponsible," said Jill Vaughn, who found her son's body after returning home from work. "I think they need to be held accountable for it."

On Monday, Keller and his Chicago-based lawyer, Kathryn Mackey, declined to comment.

The Lake County state's attorney launched a criminal investigation into Vaughn's death, but no charges have been filed. State's Attorney Michael Waller could not be reached Monday.

Complicating the case is that Keller, as county coroner, investigated his own patient's death, concluding that Steven Vaughn mixed the methadone with Xanax, which proved deadly.

Vaughn's mother has said she believes her son lied to Keller and told him that he was addicted to heroin in order to quickly be treated with methadone, having been turned down by other health clinics. He was, in fact, addicted to Xanax, she said. He did not have a prescription for it, but was using someone else's medication, she said.

He was accompanied by his brother, who did not hear any staff members warn about the dangers of mixing Xanax and methadone, she said.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Vaughn's 14-year-old grandson, does not mention Keller's position as coroner, which he has held since 2004.

"It wasn't county-related; it was Green Dragonfly-related," Jill Vaughn said. "I don't feel the taxpayers should have to pay for it."

original link is

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/northnorthwest/ct-met-coroner-lawsuit-20101213,0,26546.story