Doctor sued for allegedly prescribing toxic combination of drugs

GRETNA – A New Orleans woman is suing a local primary care physician for allegedly prescribing a combination of drugs that could have led to her renal failure occurred 13 years ago.

Lisa Montgomery, and husband William, filed suit against Louisiana Medical Mutual Insurance Company and William LaCorte M.D. in the 24th Judicial District Court on March. 11.

Montgomery claims she has been a patient of LaCorte’s since 1991 and has been taking lithium for her bipolar disorder since 1981. The plaintiff alleges she underwent testing to determine if the lithium in her system was damaging her liver.

Montgomery asserts that LaCorte also prescribed anti-hypertension drugs and anti-inflammatory drugs and when he did liver toxicity tests he did not test for a 24-hour creatinine clearance. She claims that in 1999 she received abnormal creatinine level readings in a liver toxicity test, but was not referred to another physician.

Montgomery alleges that due to the defendant’s lack of comprehensive liver toxicity testing she went into renal failure on Sept. 1, 2000,and had to undergo dialysis treatments for two years until her daughter donated a kidney to her.

The defendant is accused of failing to recognize the plaintiff was on a combination of medicine that could lead to renal failure, failing to monitor the plaintiff’s renal function by not ordering the proper blood work and warranted medical evaluations and tests, failing to recognize the log term use of lithium along with diuretics and anti-inflammatory drugs could lead to renal failure, failing to refer the plaintiff to a specialist and failing to communicate symptoms and test results to plaintiff’s psychiatrists.

An unspecified amount in damages is sought for medical expenses, physical pain and suffering, emotional pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life and wrongful death claim in the event the plaintiff dies from the alleged negligence.

Montgomery is represented by Thomas A. Gennusa of Metairie-based Gennusa, Piacun & Ruli.

The case has been assigned to Division A Judge Raymond S. Steib Jr.

Case no.724-678.