Woman Says Doc Was After-Hours Predator

ATHENS, Ga. (CN) - A woman with kidney problems claims her doctor scheduled her only for after-hours appointments with no one else present, where he sedated and sexually assaulted her, until she awoke during an appointment to find him in the act.

The woman, A.M., sued Dr. Mark Adams and Athens Urological Associates (AUA) in Clarke County Court.

A.M. says Adams treated her for 2 years for various conditions, including acute cystitis and inflammation of the kidney.

According to the complaint: "Adams directly instructed the plaintiff to schedule after-hours appointments for defendant Adams to meet privately with the plaintiff. These after-hours appointments were made at the direction of defendant Adams with no other staff or employees of AUA present.

"Over the course of the plaintiff's treatment at the Athens office of defendant Adams, it was clear that the employees and agents of AUA understood that unorthodox after-hours meetings were occurring between defendant Adams and plaintiff. These after-hours meetings were contrary to accepted practice and procedure and policy of AUA and did not include the attendance of any other staff person, nurse or other professional during the course of the examinations, sedation and procedures performed after-hours by defendant Adams."

She claims that "during the course of these after-hours appointments, the plaintiff was placed under sedation by defendant Adams for the purposes, ostensibly, of defendant Adams conducting internal vaginal examinations and procedures including, but not limited to, internal ultrasounds of the plaintiff."

She says Adams prescribed large amounts of medication which was contraindicated in her conditions.

"Over the course of the treatment regimen, defendant Adams insured that the plaintiff became dependent on the large volume of prescription drugs provided by defendant Adams to his patient ... (H)e assured her that the prescription drugs being prescribed were necessary for her treatment and pain management," the complaint states.

She says Adams personally drove her to the pharmacy to pick up the prescriptions on several occasions.

But "On July 23, 2009, the sedation did not fully incapacitate the plaintiff and she was able to appreciate what was occurring within the office during the after-hours appointment. At that time, the plaintiff observed defendant Adams sexually assaulting and molesting her," the complaint states.

She says AUA should have warned her "of the inappropriate nature of the after-hours appointments," and "should have been conducting regular inventory and/or audits of its dispensary of prescriptions which would have revealed misappropriated narcotics and justified an investigation. The failure to conform to standard industry practice left [the plaintiff] exposed to predation by Dr. Adams."

She seeks punitive damages for medical malpractice, false imprisonment, violation of privacy, sexual assault, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

She is represented by Craig White with Skedsvold & White of Atlanta.

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