The plaintiffs in this case were a middle-aged couple who sought treatment from defendant psychiatrist and his wife who was a psychiatric nurse who also performed group therapy.
Defendant psychiatrist, after treating the husband and wife plaintiffs for several years and stating that the husband was “like a son,” began a sexual relationship with plaintiff wife after abusing the transference phenomenon and committing numerous acts of negligence. When defendant’s wife learned of the sexual relationship between her husband and their patient, she ordered defendant psychiatrist to stop seeing both patients immediately which is considered abandonment. Further, she informed plaintiff husband of the relationship which she blamed entirely on plaintiff wife.
As plaintiffs’ marriage was falling apart, the Law Offices of Winer, Burritt & Scott, LLP were retained and alleged that both husband and wife suffered severe damage as a result of defendant psychiatrist’s abuse of the transference in which he betrayed both patients. Further, the firm alleged that defendant wife’s forced abrupt termination of the patients and blaming of the victim was horrendous negligence.
In the lawsuit, the defense claimed that plaintiff wife was, in fact, responsible for the relationship and any problems from which the plaintiffs suffered were due to long standing marital problems rather than the abuse by the defendants. Further, the defendants’ insurance company denied coverage for the sexual acts.
The law offices of Winer, Burritt & Scott, LLP, was able to establish that the conduct of both defendants was substandard and nearly ruined their patients’ marriage and lives. Fortunately, the plaintiffs are still married.
RESULT: $1,000,000 policy limit settlement on behalf of the plaintiffs