25 Patients, Families of 3 Dead, Allege Unnecessary Surgeries by Indiana Cardiologists, According to Patients' Legal Team

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- More than two dozen medical malpractice lawsuits, including three wrongful death allegations, have been filed against three Lake County, Ind. cardiologists accused of performing scores of unnecessary surgical procedures at Community Hospital in Munster, Ind., attorneys from Cohen & Malad, LLP, Theodoros & Rooth, PC, and the Law Office of Paul A. Rossi said today.

The law firms' 19 new lawsuits – and a total of 28 lawsuits – have been filed with the Indiana Department of Insurance or in state courts against cardiologists at Cardiology Associates of Northwest Indiana, PC, and Munster Medical Research Foundation, Inc., doing business as Community Hospital. On Monday, the legal team also filed a formal complaint with the Indiana Attorney General against members of his medical group. The Indiana AG refers cases to the Medical Licensing Board.

The allegations against the defendants include numerous instances of unnecessary pacemaker implantation, death caused by unnecessary pacemaker installation, unnecessary open-heart surgery, unnecessary angiograms, unnecessary stenting, and unnecessary cardiac defibrillator (ICD) implantation.

The defendants in the new lawsuits are Dr. Arvind Gandhi, Dr. S. Makam and Dr. Wail Asfour, Cardiology Associates of Northwest Indiana, PC and Munster Medical Research Foundation, Inc., doing business as Community Hospital.

David Cutshaw, of Cohen & Malad, LLP, said, "For far too long, questions have been raised about the conduct of Dr. Gandhi, his associates, and Community Hospital. As we allege, more and more families throughout northwestern Indiana now know they or their family members were subjected to cardiac surgeries and other procedures that were unnecessary and dangerous."

Barry Rooth, of Theodoros & Rooth, PC, said, "The evidence we have developed in our investigation and the litigation – and the persistent silence of Community Hospital – raises troubling questions about Dr. Gandhi and his associates and why the hospital did not heed internal warnings they received for nearly a decade."

The patients and families are represented by attorneys David Cutshaw and Gabriel A. Hawkins, of Cohen & Malad, LLP, of Indianapolis; Barry Rooth and Holly S.C. Wojcik, of Theodoros & Rooth, PC, of Merrillville, Ind.; and Paul A. Rossi, of the Law Office of Paul A. Rossi, LLC, of Lowell, Ind.

In May, two other former Gandhi patients, Raymond Kammer and Gloria Sargent sued the three defendants, alleging unnecessary surgeries and complications. Ms. Sargent alleges that complications from an unnecessary "upgrade" of an implant cardiac defibrillator (ICD) in 2006 required her to later undergo a heart transplant. In both cases, three-doctor Medical Review Panels unanimously found that Dr. Gandhi committed medical malpractice.

The pending state-court cases are "Raymond Kammer v. Dr. Arvind N. Gandhi, M.D., et al.," Cause No. 45C011404CT0048 and "Gloria Sargent v. Arvind N. Gandhi, M.D., et al," Cause No. 45C011404CT0049, in the Lake Circuit/Superior Court in Lake County, Ind.

More information is available at www.DeFibInjury.com.

About Cohen & Malad, LLP

Former Indiana Attorney General John J. Dillon, Louis F. Cohen and others founded Cohen & Malad, LLP in 1968. Since that time, Cohen & Malad has garnered a national reputation. The firm is focused in the areas of class action, personal injury, mass torts, medical malpractice, business litigation, family law, appellate law, and commercial real estate and business services. More information is available at www.cohenandmalad.com.

About Theodoros & Rooth, PC

Theodoros & Rooth, PC is a personal injury law firm located in Merrillville, Ind. With more than 110 years of combined and focused legal experience, Theodoros & Rooth represents persons injured by others through a compassionate but aggressive team approach. More information is available at www.trinjurylaw.com.

About the Law Office of Paul A. Rossi, LLC

The Law Office of Paul A. Rossi, LLC is a full-service law firm in Lowell, Ind.  The firm represents businesses and individuals throughout Indiana in a wide variety of matters, including criminal and civil law. The office has over 35 years of litigation experience in state and federal court, criminal and civil matters. More information is available at www.paulrossilaw.com.

Attorney Contacts: Barry Rooth, of Theodoros & Rooth, PC, 219.769.6393; and David Cutshaw, Cohen & Malad, LLP, 317.636.6481.

Media Contacts: Erin Powers, 281.703.6000, [email protected]; Jon Quick, 317.432.0309, [email protected]; Jaime Lira, 317.403.8744, [email protected].

SOURCE Cohen & Malad, LLP; Theodoros & Rooth, PC; The Law Office of Paul A. Rossi

Related Links

http://www.paulrossilaw.com