Monday, March 3rd 2014, 9:39 pm
A metro doctor accused in the deaths of nine of his patients now faces a malpractice lawsuit.
Dr. William Valuck faces 81 felony counts involving patient overdoses following prescriptions for narcotics.
54-year-old Joyce Curnett died two days after she was allegedly prescribed about 600 pain pills by Valuck.
Now, Mrs. Curnett's son is behind a malpractice lawsuit against the former doctor.
"Our client suffered an untimely death at the hand of this physician," David Van Meter, the family's malpractice attorney, said.
On Dec. 28, 2012, Van Meter said Valuck and his physician assistant prescribed Curnett hundreds of pain pills.
"I don't know anybody that does that, but that's what he did," said Van Meter. "December 30 is when she died."
Van Meter believes Curnett died of an overdose of prescription pain painkillers at the hands of Valuck and his physician assistant.
Valuck is accused in the deaths of nine of his patients during a 15-month span.
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"I'm amazed," said Kathy Green in January. "I'm stunned that he could go that far and do that much to so many different people."
Green is the sister of Christina Green, who died after Valuck allegedly over prescribed her nearly every four weeks.
"It's just unusual that so many people have died at the same hand of the same doctor," Van Meter said.
According to court documents, Valuck, his P. A. and the southwest OKC clinic where they practiced are named as defendants in the malpractice suit.
Van Meter said a system failure may be to blame.
"Not just the doctor making a mistake, or the PA making a mistake," Van Meter added.
Van Meter said he's still sifting through medical records for a complete list of medications given to Mrs. Curnett.
Valuck's preliminary hearing for the criminal case is set for April 4.
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