EAST ST. LOUIS - Fifteen days after grand jurors in St. Louis found pediatrician Craig Spiegel exchanged prescriptions for sex and photographs, Bonnie Lilly of St. Clair County filed suit claiming he caused the death of her daughter Nicole Laux.
According to Lilly’s counsel Brian Wendler of Maryville, one count in Spiegel’s indictment was specific to him prescribing substances that led to her overdose on April 4, 2022.
Wendler’s complaint didn’t allege that Spiegel prescribed the fatal drug.
It alleged that he prescribed a drug cocktail that led to dependence and death.
Spiegel’s criminal defense attorneys have pleaded that fentanyl killed her and Spiegel never prescribed fentanyl.
Grand jurors at U.S. district court in St. Louis indicted Spiegel on 25 counts on March 13.
They found he issued prescriptions for no legitimate medical purpose to women including some he knew because he treated them as children.
They found he ignored red flags that some women diverted the drugs.
They found he knew the women had substance abuse disorders and he endangered their mental well being and physical safety.
They brought 17 counts of illegal drug distribution including one that didn’t identify Laux but referred to death on April 4, 2022.
They brought seven counts of false statements, finding Spiegel falsely represented that prescriptions were medically necessary.
They brought a count of conspiracy against Spiegel and April Bingham, finding they agreed to use identities of her mother, friends and former husband on prescriptions.
They found third party identities took advantage of insurance benefits and concealed from pharmacies the frequency with which Bingham received prescriptions.
Wendler filed Lilly’s suit on March 28 in St. Clair County circuit court, claiming venue was appropriate because medication was prescribed in the county and Laux died there.
He brought separate actions for Lilly as Laux’s mother and on behalf of Laux’s minor child.
He claimed Spiegel failed to meet the standard for pediatricians by prescribing drugs to an adult while representing himself as a specialist in pediatrics.
He claimed Spiegel failed to examine the effects of the prescribed drugs.
He claimed interactions of drugs hurt Laux's immune system and body.
He claimed Spiegel prescribed controlled substances and other drugs on condition that Laux engage in sexual acts.
He claimed Lilly experienced and would continue to experience extreme mental anguish.
He claimed she would incur large sums raising a granddaughter.
Wendler also sought damages from SSM Health Medical Group and SSM’s DePaul hospital in Bridgeton, Missouri, claiming they permitted Spiegel’s conduct.
Wendler served the complaint on DePaul hospital on April 30.
On May 1 Chief Judge Andrew Gleeson assigned Circuit Judge Christopher Kolker, who set an initial conference on June 3.
On May 30, the deadline to remove the suit to U.S. district court, SSM removed it.
SSM counsel Rodney Sharp of St. Louis asserted diverse citizenship between an Illinois plaintiff and Missouri defendants.
The clerk assigned Magistrate Judge Gilbert Sison who will preside unless a party declines consent to magistrate jurisdiction.
In that event a district judge would preside.
In the criminal case District Judge Stephen Welby denied detention on March 14 and granted it on March 21.
On May 31 Spiegel moved to reopen his detention hearing, claiming he could make bond because he sold his house on May 15.
His counsel T.J. Mattes of St. Louis County claimed Spiegel’s health is deteriorating in jail and he has lost 30 pounds.
He claimed Spiegel has not received all necessary medication.
He claimed the government produced a toxicology screen of “the victim of overdose whose death defendant has been accused of causing.”
He claimed the screen revealed a fatal amount of fentanyl, which Spiegel never prescribed.
Welby has set a bond hearing for Bingham on June 4.