WINFIELD, W.Va. — Former Putnam County surgeon John King has been ordered to pay a judgment of $44 million to 13 former patients. The patients were among many who filed more than 120 medical malpractice suits against King when he practiced at the former Putnam General Hospital.
King routinely performed procedures which left numerous patients maimed for life. Judge Phillip Stowers set the damages for each of the 13 litigants based on the severity of their permanent injury due to King’s shoddy work. The 13 victims were represented by Charleston lawyer and Dr. Richard Lindsay. Most defendants settled their cases when the former hospital owner, Nashville-based Hospital Corporation of America paid out on a settlement. Lindsay said his clients were adamant King be forced to pay something.
“The hospital paid and a couple of manufacturing companies paid, but he didn’t’ pay anything he just walked away and went on with his life,” said Lindsay. “He’s ruined a lot of people’s lives and some of our clients said they wanted to make sure he never raised his head again or practiced anywhere.”
King has disappeared from the landscape. His whereabouts remain unknown. Lindsay said as far as they could tell he doesn’t’ have a medical license. The license was revoked in numerous states amid the fallout of his actions in West Virginia, but there’s a concern he may not be done for good.
“Some of those states would let him reapply. He’s telling them he’s never had a judgment against him, well now he has and it’s a big judgment,” Lindsay said. “We’re going to send the information to every state board in the country so if he ever reapplies, this will be on record.”
Lindsay made it plain to his clients, it’s unknown if they’ll ever see any of the money they’ve been awarded in the judgment.
“We’re going to try. We think he has money, but we’ve have to find him first,” he said. “Then transfer the judgment to the appropriate state court and have a judge down there say it’s a legitimate judgment and move against him. It’s not going to be easy.”
However, Lindsay said he and his clients thought it was worth the effort.
“This guy’s slippery and we may never get a dime,” he said. “But he’s never been punished and it sticks in their craw and it sticks in my craw frankly.”