Collette Busch believes it's her therapist's fault that she shot herself in the chest with a shotgun five years ago.
Now the University of Utah student has filed a lawsuit against therapist Cheri S. Reynolds and Intermountain Health Care, accusing the therapist and IHC of negligence and malpractice.The lawsuit has no merit, said David Erickson, attorney for IHC. "Our review of her claim showed that the care rendered was appropriate and within the standard of care. We have the highest regard for Dr. Reynolds' skills. She is a very competent psychologist."
Busch, then 17, shot herself in January 1990. She attempted suicide shortly after a confrontation with her former therapist in the hospital, said James L. Chris-ten-sen, Busch's attorney. The suicide attempt cost her a lung.
Busch had stopped seeing Reynolds as a therapist several months before the incident, Christensen said. But the two continued to exchange phone calls.
The day of Busch's suicide attempt, Reynolds asked Busch to come to her office at the hospital. She accused Busch of writing a letter to the girlfriend of Reynolds' son, he said.
"We weren't party to that conversation," Erickson said. "That's really between Dr. Reynolds and Collette."
Busch left the hospital distraught. "She went back to the hospital with a friend and sent the friend inside to let the therapist know that she was out in the car with a gun, intending to commit suicide. When the therapist didn't come out, she left the grounds of the hospital and shot herself."
"Dr. Reynolds enjoys a very fine reputation in the community and at the hospital. I think this lawsuit has a lot of problems," said Phillip Ferguson, attorney for Reynolds.
A prelitigation panel earlier this year concluded the claim has no merit, Erickson said. "The panel's report is generally a fairly accurate way to predict how these things will play out in court."