Dr. John Dupont has faced many lawsuits over the years.
Dupont was associated with the death of Kathy Murphy at Inglewood. The year before Kathy Murphy’s death, 20-year-old Katherine Morse died from complications of a saline abortion performed on her by Dupont at Bel Air Hospital.
Dupont was also an abortionist for Edward Allred’s Family Planning Associates Medical Group (FPA). Some of the suits he faced there include:
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Catherine R. alleged that she underwent treatment by Dupont April 16, 1986, at FPA, suffering permanent and serious injury. (LA County Superior Court Case No. NEC47207)
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Susan K. said that she underwent an abortion by Dupont at FPA August 22, 1986, and that he failed to kill the fetus. She underwent a second abortion. (LA County Superior Court Case No. NWC33129)
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Dupont also worked for Leo Kenealley’s notorious Her Medical Clinic, where he faced lawsuits including these:
Rosalyn W alleged that she had an abortion performed by Dupont at Her Medical Clinic July 11, 1983. Dupont failed to kill the fetus, and failed to inform her that she was still pregnant. She gave birth to the child. (Personally, I don’t consider this an injury, but evidently Rosalyn did.) (LA County Superior Court Case No. C503054)
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Gail H. said that she underwent an abortion by Dupont at Her Medical Clinic January 11, 1982, suffering serious and permanent injury. She sued for loss of earnings. (LA County Superior Court Case No. C414532)
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Lonnie W., age 23, mother of 3, alleged in her lawsuits that Dupont and other defendants conducted tests December 30, 1981, and discovered that she was pregnant. Lonnie consulted with the defendants, and was advised “she should have an abortion to terminate her pregnancy.” The abortion was done that day by Dupont and/or Leo Kenneally at Her Medical Clinic. Whoever performed the abortion did not kill the fetus. Lonnie visited Her Medical Clinic again February 22, 1982, and was informed then of her continued pregnancy. Lonnie said that she “could not bear the emotional trauma of a repeat abortion at that stage in her pregnancy,” and gave birth to her child.(LA County Superior Court Case No. C447811)
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Consuelo M. said that she had an abortion by Dupont at Her Medical Clinic May 19, 1978. Consuelo said that she was not adequately informed of the risks of the procedure. She returned for follow-up June 1, when she complained of pain. She was examined, and told to return June 8. On June 3 Consuelo was admitted to USC Women’s Hospital for a D&C. Her admitting diagnosis was infected incomplete abortion. The attorney for the defense contends that the second D&C showed no infection or products of conception. Consuelo suffered “inability to walk, sit, stoop without pain,” and weakness, loss of appetite. Her suit was dismissed for failure to attend a scheduled examination. (LA County Superior Court Case No. 263024)
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John Dupont also worked in other abortion facilities besides the high-profile, prolifer-beleaguered Inglewood, FPA, and Her Medical Clinic, as well as Edward Allred’s Family Planning Associates Medical Group (FPA):
Laura S. alleged that she underwent an abortion at Feminist Women’s Health Center, performed by Dupont November 18, 1975. Upon arriving she “was placed in a room with a number of other young women and asked to sign a number of documents.” Laura was not informed of the possibility of an incomplete abortion. On November 20, Laura experienced severe cramping, bled heavily, and expelled a fetus “clearly identifiable from arms, legs and head.” She called the clinic, and was told she could not have passed a fetus and had only passed a clot, and that there was no cause for concern. Laura then called her family doctor, and went in to be examined. Her family doctor performed a pelvic examination, then arranged for Laura to be admitted to a hospital for a D&C. She was discharged 2 days later. The fetus she had expelled was sent to a lab for identification, where it was found to appear normal except that its skin was slightly macerated. It measured 5.5 cm crown to rump. Laura was notified in January of 1976 that the clinic was suing her for an abortion fee, even though she had informed them of the expelled fetus and expenses incurred due to the incomplete abortion. (LA County Superior Court Case No. C184084)
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A suit filed in 1975 by Judith G. alleged that she’d undergone an abortion by Dupont. She said he failed to take a medical history, and failed to perform a proper pre-op examination and detect a uterine abnormality. The suit also alleged failure to inform Judith of additional risks and to recommend alternative treatment. Due to these failures, she required a subsequent hysterectomy. (LA County Superior Court Case No. WEC30081)
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In addition to his involvement in the deaths of two abortion patients, and the malpractice suits, Dupont got in trouble for over charging Medi-Cal:
A 1982 audit indicated that Dupont charged Medi-Cal for more the expensive live-animal (“bioassay”) pregnancy tests when he was performing “a simple urine test.” Dupont held that he was entitled to the higher fee because the urine test kits used “isolated organ preparation,” and could therefore be construed to be within the definition of “bioassay” as defined in medical dictionaries. The state did not concur. The audit also indicated that Dupont’s patient records did not always substantiate his billing claims, although he countered that lab tests and his memory could adequately substantiate the billing claims. Substantiating lab tests were not found to be in patient files. (California Medical Board Case No. C503038)
Note: Dupont is John Roe 226 in Lime 5.
By Christina Dunigan
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