Family wins $1.38m settlement Newton psychiatrist sued for malpractice
in man's death
Boston Globe, Saturday, April 26, 1997
The parents of a 24-year-old Foxborough man who died from an overdose
of prescription anti-depressant drug have won a $1.38 million malpractice
settlement against a Newton psychiatrist.
During the trial, Harold Bursztajn, a psychiatrist and Harvard Medical
School professor, testified for the plaintiffs. He said Tranxene should
not have been prescribed for Behn since it is habit-forming, and that
Tranxene combined with alcohol may worsen depression.
Bursztajn said that during Behn's treatment his psychiatric condition
deteriorated from mildly depressive neurosis to a psychosis. Bursztajn
said Tufo deviated from accepted standards by prescribing addictive and
potentially lethal medication when safer ones exited.