Kaiser Retaliates for Standard of Care Complaints, Dr. Alleges

3-19-2013 20:36:00

LOS ANGELES (CN) - A doctor was fired for voicing concerns about patient care and overworked employees, he claims in a California State Court for Los Angeles County.

Senthil Nadarajah worked for four years as a doctor for Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG) before he was fired in May 2012. He alleges in his Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit that he was terminated in retaliation for complaining about the standard of care being provided at his hospital.

His concerns also included multiple mistakes made by other doctors “that caused injuries and even death to patients where the physicians who made the mistakes were not counseled or reprimanded in any way for their actions,” the complaint states.

The situation was serious enough that Nadarajah said he feared for patients at the hospital and demanded something be done about it. In addition, doctors were forced to work extremely long, overnight shifts, and Nadarajah warned hospital administrators that the quality of care he and other doctors were giving was substandard due to fatigue and exhaustion, according to the complaint.

Nadarajah thought he would be commended for his concern, but instead was reprimanded and began receiving criticism that caused him to be passed up for partnership with SCPMG.

The plaintiff is suing for wrongful termination and unpaid wages under the California Business and Professions Code and for civil penalties under the Private Attorney General Act.

James J. Peters and Sara R. Peters represent Nadarajah.