A federal judge in Michigan dismissed a lawsuit filed by former Mount Carmel West Hospital doctor William Husel that alleged he was maliciously prosecuted by the hospital’s parent company, Trinity Health.
Husel was seeking $20 million in the lawsuit filed last April in the U.S Eastern District of Michigan Court. The suit claimed Michigan-based Trinity purposely provided wrong information to prosecutors and the media before Husel was indicted on 25 charges of murder in 2019.
Husel was accused of causing several patients deaths by overprescribing fentanyl and other drugs while working in the ICU at Mount Carmel West. Husel’s attorneys argued that the palliative care that he provided to dying patients did not violate hospital policies or nationally accepted standards.
Prosecutors dropped 11 murder charges before the case went to trial, and Husel was eventually acquitted of the remaining 14 charges in 2022. He later surrendered his medical license before the state medical board permanently revoked it.
In his Thursday dismissal of Husel’s lawsuit against Trinity, Judge Johnathan Grey pointed to a “lack of specificity,” in the complaint.
“While Dr. Husel’s complaint insinuates that false or misleading information was presented to the grand jury, it never explicitly states who, as in which Trinity staff member, presented the false or misleading testimony nor explains how that testimony was relevant to the indictment,” the dismissal stated. “Dr. Husel cannot sustain his claim with this lack of specificity.”
It goes on to say that Husel made no allegations that the grand jury proceedings were irregular.
Grey dismissed the case without prejudice, which means Husel could file another civil lawsuit.
Husel's attorney, Robert Landy, said an amended complaint addressing the issues outlined in the court's order would be filed Friday afternoon.
"Dr. Husel has always understood that the road to recovering the life that was taken from him will be long and complicated. This is simply another turn in that road," Landy said in a statement.
