Kevin Hulslander and John Goldman Win Ulster County Trial

Hulslander and Goldman recently won a difficult medical malpractice case in the Hudson Valley. They represented a nurse practitioner who treated the plaintiff while in three-year serious romantic relationship with him, which resulted in the birth of their child. Eventually, the relationship deteriorated, and the two went to Family Court in a bitter custody battle.  The plaintiff then sued the defendant while the Family Court action was pending, alleging malpractice and four other causes of action and requesting compensatory and punitive damages in Supreme Court.  Plaintiff claimed he was harmed by his provider having a sexual relationship with him and crossing professional boundaries and that defendant used confidential information against him in Family Court.  Defendant vigorously contested the claims and maintained the treatment she provided was reasonable and appropriate, and necessary to treat numerous conditions plaintiff had, including depression and anxiety, which he had suffered from most of his life. At trial, the defense expert established that defendant’s medication management was appropriate under the circumstances in part because plaintiff refused necessary treatment from other providers.  Kevin and John further showed by plaintiff’s own account, the medications defendant prescribed improved plaintiff’s condition. Defendant maintained all along the malpractice action was brought in retaliation for the custody battle and that plaintiff had no actual damages, as his subsequent treating providers all agreed that plaintiff was doing well, and they continued him on the same or substantially similar medications that the defendant had previously prescribed.  After a six-day trial, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the defendant, finding there was no malpractice and no proximate cause on the breach of confidentiality claim.