Doctor with Hundreds of Malpractice Cases Asks for Trial to be Moved

The attorneys for Dr. Abubakar Atiq Durrani have filed motions requesting that the hundreds of malpractice lawsuits filed against him be moved from Hamilton County to U.S. District Court.

Dr. Durrani has been accused of having botched the spinal surgeries of more than 500 patients that were performed between 2007 and 2013. Dr. Durrani performed surgeries at West Chester Hospital, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Good Samaritan, Christ and Deaconess.

“The only reason that they are doing this is to delay trial,” said Eric Deters, a spokesperson for the firm that represents 523 former patients of a doctor who fled the country in 2013 after being indicted on federal charges.

Deters went on to say that the lawsuits were a billion dollar problem for the hospitals involved and is probably the largest medical malpractice lawsuit of its kind in Ohio.

Federal prosecutors have accused Dr. Durrani of having performed unnecessary surgeries that caused serious bodily injury to patients in a 36-count indictment in late 2013.

After the indictment, Durrani fled the country and returned to his native Pakistan, leaving behind his wife and three children in the Cincinnati area. He is currently the chief of orthopedic spinal surgery at a hospital in Pakistan.

Deters indicated that it is unlikely that Dr. Durrani will ever return to the U.S. so that he will not have to face the charges against him.

A settlement was announced by the U.S. Department of Justice in October with West Chester Hospital and parent company UC Health. The hospitals have agreed to pay $4.1 million over allegations the hospital submitted claims to Medicare and Medicaid for medically unnecessary spine surgeries that Durrani performed.

The several hundred civil lawsuits against Dr. Durrani still remain, however.

If you believe that you or a loved one believes they has suffered as a result of medical malpractice or other medical related personal injury, contact the law offices of Bottar Law, PLLC today. We’ll meet with you and carefully evaluate your claim. Call to schedule a free initial consultation. You may contact us at our toll free number (888) 979-1689, or at (315) 313-6809, or reach us by email at info@bottarlaw.com