Negligent sedation claimed in med mal suit

A St. Clair County man who sought treatment for a head and leg injury after being struck by a car, claims Memorial Hospital's staff negligently sedated him. As a result, Langus Kye claims he suffers permanent brain damage.

Represented by Gerald M. Dunne of Belleville, Kye is seeking in excess of $75,000 in damages, according to a suit filed Sept. 25 in St. Clair County Circuit Court.

According to the complaint, Kye arrived at the emergency room conscious and alert at 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 22, 2004. Forty-five minutes later he was sedated and placed on a ventilator by a nurse, Genia Fox, R.N., under the direction of Paul Adams, a doctor of osteopathic medicine.

Fox and Adams are co-defendants.

At 10:35 p.m. Kye was transported to Barnes Jewish Hospital via Arch Air.

"That as a result of being sedated/paralyzed plaintiff, Langus Kye, suffers from permanent brain damage," the complaint states.

Kye claims the defendants failed to promptly treat his head injury and negligently sedated him and placed him on a ventilator when they "knew or should have known would cause permanent brain damage to the plaintiff."