DGL Attorneys At Law has secured a record-setting $77.5-million verdict for the family of a young man who lost his life due to a severe psychotic break caused by inexcusable medical negligence. In The Estate of Nicholas Carusillo v. Metro Atlanta Recovery Residences, Inc., Richard Waldman, M.D.; and Matt Erwin, we argued that a string of misdiagnoses and medication errors left Nick Carusillo extremely vulnerable to self-harm that is common for people diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The defendants tried to argue that his death was the result of an unpredictable suicide, but we convinced the jury otherwise.
Details of the Bipolar Wrongful Death Case
Nick Carusillo was diagnosed as bipolar when he was 20, which contributed to his history of substance abuse and addiction. While seeking treatment at Metro Atlanta Recovery Residences (MARR) when he was 29, a psychiatrist strangely concluded that he was not bipolar, despite his previous diagnosis and medical history. Shockingly, the psychiatrist stopped his lithium prescription “cold turkey” and reduced his Seroquel prescription to a “non-therapeutic” level; in other words, Nick was suddenly without any medication that could actively mitigate the worst symptoms of bipolar disorder.
Three weeks later, MARR forced Nick to leave its facility against his will because he was using an unapproved cellphone. Nick was de-compensating or experiencing a breakdown of his mental health and functions. MARR acknowledged that he required a higher level of care, but still sent him to a sober house, which provides very minimal care and oversight to patients. He and his parents begged MARR to allow him to stay in the original facility where he would get better care, but they were denied.
Just two days later, while Nick was showing signs of a severe psychotic break, he walked onto the freeway in the early morning, lied down, and was fatally struck by multiple vehicles.
Arguing His Death Was Caused by Medical Negligence
The counsel representing MARR rested most of its defense on the argument that Nick had intentionally committed suicide, or that he had committed suicide while under the impairment of drugs or alcohol. The autopsy toxicology screen was clean, though.
Our wrongful death attorneys and medical malpractice lawyers of DGL Attorneys At Law argued that he died due to a psychotic break. We also argued that the psychotic break was caused directly by MARR’s psychiatrist taking away his medication and the facility kicking him out for a simple policy violation. Furthermore, our investigation uncovered that MARR had fraudulently altered their records about his stay at the facility but after he had passed away.
After a hard-fought 14-day trial in a 5-year litigation case, the jury returned with a $77.5-million verdict in favor of our clients. This case result not only will help Nick’s family find a sense of justice and closure but also sends a very clear message to mental health treatment facilities: “Mental health matters.”
To learn more about this record-breaking and important case result, you can watch a full documentary video about it by clicking here. If you need the help of our Atlanta trial attorneys, please call (770) 404-8239 and schedule a FREE case consultation with DGL Attorneys At Law.