Jed DeWick and Elizabeth Kayatta Win $650,000 Settlement in College Suicide Lawsuit

04/06/2015

 

Jed DeWick and Elizabeth Kayatta won a $650,000 settlement on behalf of the family of a 19-year-old college sophomore who killed himself after being prescribed multiple psychiatric medications by an advanced practice mental health nurse at his university.  Over the course of the student’s 6-month treatment by the nurse, he developed significant and increasing anxiety.  Two days before killing himself, the student had emailed the nurse to complain of an increase in his anxiety– which he attributed to the medication she had prescribed him– and he asked what he should do.  The nurse advised him to come in for her next available appointment, which was a week away.  After the student was found dead of an apparent suicide, a forensic review of his laptop revealed dozens of suicide-related  internet searches between the time he emailed the nurse and his death two days later.  The student’s family filed suit against the nurse, alleging that her treatment fell below the standard of care in many respects, including her failure to take immediate steps to mitigate the risk of suicide after their son contacted her two days before his death.  The nurse settled for $650,000 in advance of trial.

 

For more information on the settlement, read the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Settlement Report.

 

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