Also named as a defendant is Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation's largest healthcare systems, which owns and operates the facility where Kasem died.
The complaint alleges that Casey Kasem was criminally separated from his legal family of 35 years against his will and subjected to a forced, isolated hospital entrapment. It asserts that Kasem's adult children, using a fraudulent Durable Power of Attorney, made a series of rapid, unilateral decisions to terminate his life, completely ignoring his wife's desperate pleas and without any authorization by Washington State Judge Jennifer Irvine Forbes.
According to the complaint, Jean Kasem's husband was forcibly taken by his 44-year-old daughter Kerri to St. Anthony on June 1, 2014 for an "independent medical evaluation." St. Anthony hospital's examining physician, attended by Casey's personal physician, Dr. Donald Sharman, cleared Casey to be returned to the care he was receiving at home. St. Anthony Hospital's examining physician stated in his written medical report, "His {Casey Kasem's} current care plan and management in his current home has been appropriate today. Dr. Sharman's recommendations and availability have been excellent and timely."
The evaluation concluded at around 6:00 pm on June 1, but Casey was not returned home to his wife as intended. Instead, the complaint alleges that Kerri Kasem's attorney contacted St. Anthony Hospital's examining physician and fabricated an excuse for an "overnight observation," which was not authorized by Judge Forbes. As a result, Casey was held against his will at St. Anthony Hospital.
On June 2, 2014, Judge Forbes read St. Anthony Hospital's examining physician's report and found "no compelling argument from the doctor in the report that he {Casey} needed to stay in the hospital." She then authorized that Casey be immediately returned home to his wife.
Concurrently, Dr. Sharman and Jean Kasem called St. Anthony and were informed by the attending physician that, "Casey Kasem's medical evaluation had concluded and his overnight observation went well, he is discharged and you can come pick him up."
That afternoon when Jean, Dr. Sharman, Casey's private nurse and one of Jean's attorneys arrived at St. Anthony Hospital with medical transport to pick Casey up and bring him back home, they were stalled for hours by hospital staff.
According to the complaint, St. Anthony Hospital's attending physician, who previously told Dr. Sharman and Jean Kasem that "Casey was discharged," reversed himself, saying Casey would not be discharged. He also could not explain to Dr. Sharman and Jean why Casey needed to remain in the hospital. Kerri Kasem's attorney then screamed, "Casey is not leaving the hospital period!" From that day forward, Dr. Sharman, along with Casey's private nurse, Jean, her attorneys and Liberty Kasem were all banned from St. Anthony.
Full Press Release and Source:
Jean Kasem, Widow of Radio/Television Icon Casey Kasem, Files Lawsuit Against Kasem's Adult Children and Others for Wrongful Death, Negligence and Fraud
