Former Ohio doctor acquitted of murder charges files new lawsuit against Trinity Health

Ava Boldizar
·2 min read
12

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – William Husel, the former physician who was acquitted of murder charges in connection to patients’ overdoses, has filed another lawsuit in federal court against Mount Carmel’s parent company, about one month after a similar lawsuit was dismissed.

Husel on Tuesday sued Trinity Health, the parent company of Mount Carmel, seeking $20 million in damages. The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, accuses the healthcare giant of malicious prosecution, alleging Husel was a scapegoat for the hospital and they actively sought his criminal prosecution.

The lawsuit claims that since Husel’s acquittal, he has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder, and has not been able to obtain employment. It also says Husel has developed physical symptoms not related to any other medical condition including a limp and loss of fine motor skills.

William Husel sits during his trial Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. Husel is accused of ordering excessive painkillers for patients in the Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System. He was indicted in cases involving at least 500 micrograms of the powerful painkiller fentanyl. (Barbara J. Perenic/The Columbus Dispatch via AP, Pool)
William Husel sits during his trial Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. Husel is accused of ordering excessive painkillers for patients in the Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System. He was indicted in cases involving at least 500 micrograms of the powerful painkiller fentanyl. (Barbara J. Perenic/The Columbus Dispatch via AP, Pool)

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Husel previously filed a similar lawsuit in April 2023, which also sought $20 million in damages and alleged malicious prosecution. The lawsuit was dismissed in March after the court found that Husel failed to argue against the presumption that probable cause existed for his prosecution.

The new lawsuit addresses the dismissal, which indicated the original lawsuit never explicitly stated which Trinity staff member presented false or misleading testimony. The new lawsuit accuses Dr. Daniel Roth, the health system’s chief clinical officer, of presenting knowingly false information to the Franklin County grand jury that indicted Husel.

From 2015 to 2018, critically ill patients in Columbus ICU physician Husel’s care died from a potentially excessive amount of painkillers. In 2019, Husel faced 14 murder charges in relation to his patient’s deaths. A jury ultimately found him not guilty in 2022. Husel surrendered his medical license in the aftermath of his trial.

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