Earlier this week a news story broke accusing a long-time Sherman, Texas pain management doctor of prescribing patients throughout Texas and Oklahoma with lethal doses of medication. According to the report, Dr. Gregg Diamond conspired with others to write unnecessary prescriptions for pain management drugs like morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, hydrocodone, and alprazolam since as far back as 2010. The popular doctor has been linked to seven deaths across Texas and Oklahoma between 2012 and 2016. Three of the deaths occurred in Texas in the nearby cities of Sulphur Springs, Abilene, and McKinney.
This is a shocking revelation for many, as Diamond has been a licensed physician in Texas since 1988 and has practiced in numerous area clinics for years, attracting patients from all over North and East Texas, as well as Oklahoma. Now facing a 21-count indictment, Diamond’s intentions and capabilities as a pain management doctor is coming into question. Diamond first caught the attention of federal agents several months ago when local pharmacies had begun refusing to fill his prescriptions out of concern. Diamond took to social media, complaining of “unexplained circumstances” that were “inconsistent with the medical welfare of my patients”. Diamond asked patients to speak out on his behalf, a move that may viewed as a last-ditch effort to save his reputation and practice.
The Dangers of Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice and negligence is a very real, growing problem in the United States that is highlighted by cases like Dr. Gregg Diamond. Patients turn to medical professionals in times of need, looking for solutions that will help them take hold of various conditions and pain. When an authority figure takes advantage of the situation – such is the case with Diamond – and patients lose their lives because of it, the repercussions are inevitable. While many patients are speaking out in support of Diamond, the seven (or more) patients who lost their lives because of his actions would undoubtedly say otherwise.
Diamond is currently being held at the Fannin County jail where a judge will decide today if he should be held in federal custody until his trial. Federal agents are in the midst of an investigation of Diamond’s practice, looking into other potential patient deaths linked to his clinic.
We encourage anyone who believes they have been the victim of medical malpractice to contact Wormington & Bollinger right away. We see these types of cases take place more often than we would like and are here to fight for your rights. When a trusted medical professional such as Diamond is accused of taking advantage of patients, committing fraud, laundering money, and having a hand in not one, but seven patient deaths, it should open our eyes and encourage patients to proceed with caution. If you have any questions about medical malpractice lawsuits in McKinney or elsewhere in Texas, please do not hesitate to contact our medical malpractice attorneys. We will keep you updated on the Diamond case as it progresses.