A doctor accused of killing 25 hospital patients with overdoses is suing his former employer for defamation, saying he did nothing wrong and followed hospital policy on end-of-life care.
William Husel was indicted on June on 25 counts of murder, which he denies, and filed a lawsuit on Thursday against Ohio’s Mount Carmel Health System and its parent organisation, Trinity Health Corp.
The papers state: “It would not be an exaggeration to state that Husel has suffered perhaps the most egregious case of defamation in Ohio's recent history.”
It added that all of the patients died from their illnesses, and not the administration of fentanyl, a powerful painkiller allegedly ordered by Husel.
The suit claims he was given no formal training on the hospital’s procedures when he was hired in 2013, and pointed out that he was named doctor of the year in 2014.
He is seeking $50,000 plus legal costs.
Count Carmel and Trinity Health called the allegations “unfounded” and said it stood by its conclusions that he was responsible for patient deaths.
Earlier this year the hospital said he ordered "significantly excessive and potentially fatal" doses of pain medicine for at least 27 near-death patients after families asked that lifesaving measures be stopped.
Husel's license to practice was suspended in January by the State Medical Board of Ohio.
