Soldier's Widow Sues U.S. Over Suicide

Says V.A. Was Slow To Treat Iraq Veteran's Depression After Three Suicide Attempts

(AP)  The widow of an Iraq war veteran who committed suicide while in outpatient care for depression at a Veterans Administration hospital is suing the federal government for alleged negligence.

Tiera Woodward, 26, claims her late husband, Donald, sought treatment at a VA hospital in Lebanon, Pa., after three suicide attempts but wasn't seen by a psychiatrist for more than two months.

She says doctors were slow to diagnose her husband with major depression, and that once the diagnosis was made, a psychiatrist failed to schedule a follow-up meeting with her husband after he informed the doctor he had gone off his medication.

Donald Woodward killed himself in March 2006 at age 23.

"I intend to make them make changes," said his mother, Lori Woodward. "I have too many friends whose kids are in Iraq. I have a nephew now in Iraq, in the same unit, and I can't have my family go through this again."

Alison Aikele, a VA spokeswoman in Washington, said the agency does not typically comment on pending litigation.

The lawsuit, filed in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, seeks an unspecified amount for funeral expenses, lost income and pain and suffering.

It echoes other lawsuits nationwide over VA mental-health services, despite legislation President Bush signed in November ordering improvements.

The family of Marine Jeffrey Lucey, also 23, has a federal suit pending in Massachusetts over his June 2004 suicide. And two veterans groups sued the VA in San Francisco seeking an overhaul of its health system, citing special concerns about mental health, but a judge dismissed the suit in June over venue issues.

More than 150,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans have already sought mental health care from the VA, and 200,000 others have sought medical care, according to Veterans for Common Sense, one of the groups involved in the California lawsuit.

"Each tragic veteran suicide is yet another painful reminder of the human cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and VA's abject failure to provide timely and appropriate mental health care," said Paul Sullivan, the group's executive director. "How many wake-up calls does (the) VA need?"

[usclimey]

Posted by srz25

Huh??????

[armydog2]

Funding for the VA is something that has been put on the backburner for a long time. Bush and cheney and the republican congress knew that issues like this would come down the pike as soon as they got us involved in Iraq and did not do a thing to ensure these Veterans would receive the care they so justly deserve. Assured funding for the VA is the responsible thing to do and bush and the republican congress continue to vote it down. The dod is also to be held responsible for this, when these guys come home all they have to do is fill out a check of sheet as their debriefing..And we have mccain and his sidekick palin and even his wife who support the neocon rhetoric.
The VA is not perfect but without adequate funding it cannot do it''s job! Our Veterans and our Military deserve the very best of care for all they do for this Country! Tell your reprsentatives in Congress to support them and to vote for assured funding for the VA

[missingamerica]

This is what we have to look forward to if the government gets into the health care business.

Posted by Inketolstoy at 04:25 PM : Oct 08, 2008

I doubt it.

The VA system suffers because the non-veteran voters "forget" about veterans between wars...enabling the Republicans to start sliding funding cuts in.

It takes time and money to build the VA back up to something approaching the level of care desirable for humans even when the non-veteran voters are paying attention during wars.

A health care system that the great mass of the voters went to, however, would be front and center in the eyes of the voters every day.

So I doubt that it would either decay as fast, or be permitted to have as many incompetents and psychopaths.

[babooph]

They had a FAST timeline & money to arm him & send him to Iraq.

[inketolstoy]

Question: "How many wake-up calls does (the) VA need?"

Answer: At least one more.

This is what we have to look forward to if the government gets into the health care business.

[redbds]

The VA is like a bad insurance company. They will say "no" time and again in hops that you will just go away. The VA has to be the slowest and least effective agency in the government.

[seen2much]

I disagree with you swwils, the family is not at fault for this. The VA system is faulty and is not perfect. He asked for help and did not get it.
I am very happy to hear that you are so decorated and not have problems and that the VA was quick to help you out. Now if they would help everyone else that well, All out veterns could be proud.
My brother has PTSD very badly and just admitted recently that he has problems to the VA and his own family and he will not let anyone from our family near him right now so the court is not always an option.
Good luck to Woodward Family and I hope that you win so that change for the better can take placefor both you and the VA system.

[bobnjersey]

[This will not accomplish anything but more Taxes,and perhaps less programs.The squeaky wheel gets the most oil,always remember that.]
[Posted by swwils at 01:03 PM : Oct 08, 2008]

your two statements above contradict each other.

the suit is the ''squeak'' ... the wheel is the va''s failure to diagnose and/or follow up ... and not leaving it to someone else to spot.

her suit will obviously do nothing for this man''s problem ... but it might make the va realize that the cost to continue their current policy will be greater than changing their policy to something that will be more proactive for soldiers suffering the way this man was.

[swwils]

I didn''t know he tried other attempts to kill himself,but your family is at fault in my eyes you should have seen a judge and had him committed into a hospital that would have been alot quicker,and he would have been forced to take his medication.I really feel your loss but this lawsuit you will not win!

[swwils]

I didn"t mean too sound un-sympathatic,in the last article I spoke about this poor guy dying.But Mental health does not always work.Some people just commit suicide for their own reasons.The Government is about the hardest institution to sue.This won''t bring him back either.I am positive you must have collected insurance and other pay from him being in the war.Attorney''s are sue crazy.If it wasn''t for them we would''nt need them.

[swwils]

I am soory that this soldier died,but blaming the V.A.Hospital isn"t their fault.This guy had some underlying issues before the war.I have had several combat experiences.I have a Purple Heart,Bronze star,C.I.B.(Combat Infantry Badge)2 times,several Arcom''s.I spent 12 years in the Ranger''s and as a Green Beret.I have P.T.S.D,also been diagnosed with Bi-Polar disorder I had many years before the military.This guy for real needed Mental Health services.But family should notice this before a Medical professional.If the VA was over crowded their are emergency rooms.Believe me I have been institutionalized for months at a time but I take my medicationnd I am cool.Again I hope someone would have taken time too see his problems I have lost three buddies mby suicide but they didn''t even seek help.This will not accomplish anything but more Taxes,and perhaps less programs.The squeaky wheel gets the most oil,always remember that.

[b99york]

Speaking from personal experience, psychiatric treatment and therapy do not always work. It''s possible that this man would have committed suicide even if he had gotten psychiatric help. I think psychiatry is a racket, and people have got to stop pretending that going to a therapist is the solution to every problem. Believe me when I tell you, many times therapy does not help.

[b99york]

Speaking from personal experience, psychiatric treatment and therapy do not always work. It''s possible that this man would have committed suicide even if he had gotten psychiatric help. I think psychiatry is a racket, and people have got to stop pretending that going to a therapist is the solution to every problem. Believe me when I tell you, many times therapy does not help.

[cdfoxtrot4]

It''''s a shame that Donald found that suicide was the only answer for him but suing isn''''t going to bring him back. If someone is set in their mind that they are going to commit suicide, there (unfortunately) not much anyone can do.

Posted by MyOpinion381

Are you a doctor specializing in mental health? No, right? There are things that can be done. Therapy, pharmaceutical intervention, etc. I know how people love to p1ss and *** on government in this country, but this soldier had a right to expect better than this. Life is more complicated than reducing everything to "personal responsibility".

[cdfoxtrot4]

Where was she during all of this? Why did he go off his medication?

Sounds to me like a line of duty determination.

Posted by Hwy71So

Don''t blame the victims. She''s not a doctor. She''s 26 years old. The soldier asked for help and didn''t get it from the very place where he should have expected professional help.

[mmbc19704821]

It seems the VA continues to drop the ball whenever it''s convienent for them. I''m s/c for depression and back in 2006 when a staff member was told it was time for him to leave. After he left. They convienently forgot about me even though I pestered them to death. I ended up paying for my own care just to stay healthy. The suicide problem is just the tip of the iceberg. Leading healthcare into the 21st century. That statement is a joke. I''m still to this day trying to get reimbursed for out of out expenses for this mistake.

[myopinion381]

It''s a shame that Donald found that suicide was the only answer for him but suing isn''t going to bring him back. If someone is set in their mind that they are going to commit suicide, there (unfortunately) not much anyone can do.

[godseyesore-2009]

Good for her! It would be even better if she could sue ALL the perps...bush, cheney, rove, & wolfowitz