Local Law Firms Home > Medical Malpractice News > Ohio Podiatrist Faces Eight Medical Malpractice Lawsuits Dr. Leonard Janis, 65, is a practicing podiatrist in Hilliard, Ohio where he has been treating patients and performing surgeries since 1973. Now he is facing eight medical malpractice lawsuits and one wrongful death case. Five of the eight malpractice lawsuits name OhioHealth or its subsidiary Grant Medical Center where Janis performed surgeries for 26 years as co-defendants. Janis has resigned his privileges at Grant Medical and at another OhioHealth subsidiary called Doctors Hospital. He continues to see patients at this private practice called Total Foot and Ankle of Ohio and maintain privileges at a few other surgical care centers. One of the plaintiffs is Darla Morris, 49, is a nursing assistant who broke her left ankle in 2005. Four failed surgeries followed until 2011, at which time her leg was amputated below the knee. Another plaintiff is Beth Mullens, 51, who in 2007 went in for what was ostensibly surgery for heel spurs. Eight surgeries later, she too ended up having her leg amputated below the knee. The wrongful death case was filed by the widow of a 39-year-old patient who died at Grant Medical Center in 2009, eight hours after Janis performed surgery on his Achilles tendon. The lawsuit alleges Janis and other staff members sedated him too heavily and did not monitor his condition. Janis was defended by a spokesman who said that Janis performed 600 surgeries every year and many of them are high-risk cases that come to him after orthopedic surgeons have recommended amputation. Janis has never been in trouble with the State Medical Board and no disciplinary action has ever been taken against him. Janis has never lost a medical malpractice case in his life. He has been involved with 12 prior medical malpractice lawsuits, seven of which he either won or got dismissed. The remaining five were settled out of court. Out of a total of 21 medical practice lawsuits filed against him, 11 have been filed since 2009 and nine are still active.
|