The estate of a spine surgeon who worked at Los Angeles-based Keck Hospital of the University of Southern California alleges he was wrongfully fired a year before his death, according to a Jan. 4 report from mynewsla.com.
Frank Acosta, MD, died Nov. 21, 2020, according to the report. The lawsuit alleges wrongful termination, retaliation, disability discrimination and failure to accomodate and engage in the interactive process.
A USC spokesperson told mynewsla.com that Dr. Acosta was named in a 2016 medical malpractice suit after a patient died in post-operative care from a surgery he performed.
The suit said Dr. Acosta wasn't involved in that patient's post-op care and was dismissed as a defendant in 2018, according to the report. However, he was deposed three months before he was dismissed. When Dr. Acosta said he wanted to provide more facts regarding the deposition, USC allegedly began to retaliate, according to the lawsuit.
Dr. Acosta was also named in an alleged domestic violence incident when someone hit him.
The estate's lawsuit alleges Dr. Acosta was fired over the deposition testimony in the malpractice suit, the report said. The suit also alleges that his firing was motivated by his involvement in the domestic dispute. The suit seeks unspecified damages.
Read additional details here.