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A convicted Nanticoke doctor is being blamed in a five-count civil lawsuit for causing the drug overdose death of 42-year-old Kevin Sweeney on March 1, 2000.
Sweeney died less than 24 hours after Dr. Laureano M. Manuel had prescribed him Diazepam and methadone, according to the lawsuit filed Friday in Luzerne County Court by Attorney Joseph A. Lach.
Lache represents Joseph E. Sweeney, who was appointed administrator of his brother's estate.
According to the lawsuit, Kevin Sweeney had suffered from back pain, depression and an opiate addiction. He had sought treatment from a number of physicians for his back pain until Dr. Manuel began treating him in September 1999.
Dr. Manuel had seen Sweeney on average of once a week to 10 days between September 1999 to Feb. 29, 2000.
During that time, the lawsuit alleged, Dr. Manuel had prescribed Sweeney a number of controlled substances, including Zanax, Corisoprodol, Amitriptyline and Hydrocodone, which is an opiate.
On Feb. 29, 2000, Dr. Manuel had prescribed Sweeney Diazepam and methadone.
Less than a day later, he was found unresponsive at his Hanover Township home.
According to the lawsuit, Sweeney died from cardio- respiratory depression and arrest due to a drug overdose from medication prescribed by Dr. Manuel.
The death of Sweeney was the direct result of negligence of Dr. Manuel, the lawsuit claimed.
It further claimed Dr. Manuel did not have knowledge, formal training or education in the diagnosis care and treatment of back pain, depression and opiate addiction.
Dr. Manuel is being accused of negligence, fraud and misrepresentation, survival action and wrongful death. Each count seeks $50,000.
Dr. Manuel was convicted by a Luzerne County jury on Sept. 11, 2002, of two counts each of Medicaid fraud and prescription of a controlled substance to a drug dependent person and one count of prescription of a controlled substance not in accordance with treatment principles.
He was sentenced to five to 10 years in state prison on Oct. 15, 2002, but had been free on $75,000 bail while he appealed his sentence.
The state Superior Court earlier this year affirmed his punishment and the state attorney general's office filed a petition in county court seeking to revoke his bail.
A hearing on the attorney general's petition has not been scheduled.
Dr. Manuel lived in Berwick but had his office at 294 E Union St., Nanticoke.
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