Court dismisses William Husel's lawsuit against Mount Carmel's owner for $20 million

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A Michigan court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by former physician Dr. William Husel against Mount Carmel's parent company, which alleged malicious prosecution.

In April 2023, attorneys for Husel filed a complaint against Trinity Health Corporation, Mount Carmel's parent company, seeking $20 million in damages. The lawsuit alleged the healthcare giant maliciously prosecuted the ousted ICU doctor as part of an orchestrated effort to protect the company’s reputation. 

The lawsuit claimed that Trinity "actively sought [Husel’s] indictment and prosecution" and provided the Franklin County Prosecutor's office with knowingly inaccurate and misleading information while withholding exculpatory evidence. The lawsuit also claimed Trinity instituted a public outreach campaign, including influencing local media, designed to prosecute Husel.

The United States District Court for the Eastern Michigan District sided with Trinity and dismissed the case, finding that Husel failed to argue against the presumption that probable cause existed for his prosecution.

From 2015 to 2018, critically ill patients in Columbus ICU physician Husel’s care died from a potentially excess amount of painkillers. In 2019, Husel faced murder charges in relation to his patient’s deaths. A jury ultimately found him not guilty of 14 counts of murder in 2022. Husel  surrendered his medical license in the aftermath of his trial.