The number of lawsuits filed against former psychiatrist Brian Hyatt, MD, has grown to 31, 5 News Online reported Aug. 8.
Dr. Hyatt and Northwest Medical Center in Springdale, Ark., were initially sued in May by 11 people. Seven of those lawsuits alleged false imprisonment.
Dr. Hyatt and the hospital were also under investigation for Medicaid fraud amid allegations he billed patients at a higher rate than appropriate. Investigators found in surveillance footage he allegedly never made contact with patients for whom he was billing Medicaid.
Now 20 more lawsuits have been filed with claims including false imprisonment, and more litigation is expected, according to 5 News Online. According to the report, one former patient was sued by the hospital for not paying a bill for services he never received, but that lawsuit was dropped.
Northwest Medical Center didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Becker's.