Mother's suit blames doctors for prescribing Risperdal

A woman has filed suit against two doctors, Granite City Illinois Hospital Company and Granite City Clinic Corp., doing business as Heartland Healthcare, alleging her daughter died because of medicine doctors prescribed for her schizophrenia.

Carrie Krug, mother of Lori Krug, claims her daughter died on May 22, 2002, but it was not until within the past two years that Carrie Krug discovered the reason for her daughter's death.

Before her death, Lori Krug had been taking Risperdal, which defendant Dr. Hamachandra P. Gunawardhana had prescribed to her for her schizophrenia, according to the complaint filed Sept. 25 in Madison County Circuit Court.

However, Risperdal exposed Lori Krug to the risk of significant weight gain and sleep apnea, the suit states.

As a result, Lori Krug developed sleep apnea and visited defendant Dr. Todd Paxton of Granite City Illinois Hospital Company on May 21, 2002, with various complaints of coughing and shortness of breath, the complaint says.

Because of Paxton's failure to diagnose and to properly treat Lori Krug with sleep apnea and because of Gunawardhana's failure to order a sleep apnea study or to inform Carrie Krug of the dangers associated with sleep apnea, Lori Krug died, Carrie Krug claims.

Because of Lori Krug's death, her next-of-kin have been deprived of her love, companionship, consortium, support and guidance and have incurred medical and funeral costs, according to the complaint.

In the four-count suit, Carrie Krug is seeking a judgment of more than $300,000, plus costs.

She will be represented by Thomas Q. Keefe Jr. of Belleville.

Madison County Circuit Court case number: 09-L-1020.