Judge dismisses Ragsdale suit against doctors ....Paxil etc murder

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Judge dismisses Ragsdale suit against doctors

By Alberty

The Salt Lake TribuneFirst published Feb 25 2011 07:01PMUpdated Feb 25, 2011 07:01PM

A judge has dismissed a lawsuit that claimed Ragsdale's prescription medications contributed to him shooting his wife to death in a Lehi church parking lot in 2008.

The children of and Kristy Ragsdale, through their conservator, had sued their father's doctor and nurse practitioner for prescribing antidepressants and other medications that allegedly carried risks of psychiatric complications. Third District Judge Lindberg dismissed the case earlier this month, writing that the children could not pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit because they were not the patients.

"The Court is not persuaded that ... the non-patient plaintiffs may step into Ragsdale's shoes to pursue a malpractice lawsuit," Lindberg wrote.

The Ragsdale children were 4 and 19 months old when Ragsdale approached his wife, Kristy, in their church parking lot during Sunday meeting Jan. 6, 2008. He gunned down Kristy, 30, who had requested a restraining order against him.

In the months before the murder, his nurse practitioner, Trina West, prescribed a cocktail of steroids, antidepressants and other medications, the lawsuit claimed. Other drugs were added to the combination one month before the shooting at an appointment where Ragsdale discussed his marital problems and the restraining order, the suit alleged.

Ragsdale, who pleaded guitly to first-degree felony aggravated murder, said he took full responsibility for his wife's death but would not have murdered her had he not been on medications.

His children's lawsuit sought damages from West, Ragsdale's physician Hugo Rodier and Pioneer Comprehensive Medical Clinic.

The clinic's attorney has said Ragsdale's care was "exceptional and appropriate," and other qualified health care providers would have made similar decisions.

Lindberg's decision does not address whether the medications played a role in the murder of Kristy Ragsdale.

Ragsdale was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.

[Guest guest]

That is a lamest excuse I have ever heard, the

children are not old enough to file suit.

On 2/26/2011 7:10 AM, jeremy9282 wrote:

Judge

dismisses Ragsdale suit against doctors

By Alberty

The Salt Lake Tribune

First published Feb 25 2011 07:01PM

Updated

Feb 25, 2011 07:01PM

A judge has dismissed a lawsuit that

claimed Ragsdale's prescription medications

contributed to him shooting his wife to death in a Lehi

church parking lot in 2008.

The children of and Kristy

Ragsdale, through their conservator, had sued their father's

doctor and nurse practitioner for prescribing

antidepressants and other medications that allegedly carried

risks of psychiatric complications. Third District Judge

Lindberg dismissed the case earlier this month,

writing that the children could not pursue a medical

malpractice lawsuit because they were not the patients.

"The Court is not persuaded that ...

the non-patient plaintiffs may step into Ragsdale's

shoes to pursue a malpractice lawsuit," Lindberg wrote.

The Ragsdale children were 4 and 19

months old when Ragsdale approached his wife, Kristy,

in their church parking lot during Sunday meeting Jan. 6,

2008. He gunned down Kristy, 30, who had requested a

restraining order against him.

In the months before the murder, his

nurse practitioner, Trina West, prescribed a cocktail of

steroids, antidepressants and other medications, the lawsuit

claimed. Other drugs were added to the combination one month

before the shooting at an appointment where Ragsdale

discussed his marital problems and the restraining order,

the suit alleged.

Ragsdale, who pleaded guitly to

first-degree felony aggravated murder, said he took full

responsibility for his wife's death but would not have

murdered her had he not been on medications.

His children's lawsuit sought damages

from West, Ragsdale's physician Hugo Rodier and Pioneer

Comprehensive Medical Clinic.

The clinic's attorney has said

Ragsdale's care was "exceptional and appropriate," and other

qualified health care providers would have made similar

decisions.

Lindberg's decision does not address

whether the medications played a role in the murder of

Kristy Ragsdale.

Ragsdale was sentenced to 20

years to life in prison.