Family Awarded $8 Million in Case Against Koplin, Practice After 2009 Murder-Suicide

A Waterbury Superior Court jury has awarded more than $8 million to the family of a Vernon man whose "untreated mental illness" resulted in a 2009 murder-suicide, lawyers for the plaintiffs said on Thursday.

In June 2009, James Morrin, 45, fatally shot his wife Alice Morrin, 43 twice with a shotgun, and then shot himself, according to police records and a news release from the firm of Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder. 

A jury on Monday awarded $8,008,500 in damages to the family after finding against former Tolland- and Vernon-based physician Carl Koplin and Healthwise Medical Group, according to the news release. 

“This case underscores that primary care providers, who are in a unique position to recognize early signs of mental health problems in their patients, need to be part of any discussion about effective intervention and treatment,” said Joshua Koskoff of the Bridgeport-based law firm that represented the Morrin family. “James desperately needed his doctors to listen to him in the two months leading up to the murder-suicide, but they repeatedly failed to do so.  I think the jury made clear with this verdict that people are sick and tired of point and click medicine.”

The incident was on June 28, 2009 at 106 Gerald Dr., in Vernon, police records indicate.  

The case was brought by James’ mother, Mary Morrin on behalf of the Morrin children, who were 9 and 15 at the time of their parents’ deaths, according the the news release.

In April of 2009, Morrin sought medical attention for a host of depression-related symptoms including anxiety, fear, sadness, persistent insomnia, marital problems, weight loss, and inability to concentrate, according the the news release.

A jury in December found Koplin and "other personnel" at Healthwise liable for James Morrin’s death, according the the news release.
The Christmas and New Year’s holidays delayed the jury’s decision on damages until this week.

“The jury’s verdict is a reflection of the ease with which this tragedy could have been avoided had the doctor correctly evaluated what were obvious symptoms of severe depression,” Koskoff said.

“In the aftermath of the Newtown tragedy, the relationship between untreated mental illness and gun violence has once again sparked considerable debate.  Although an assessment of access to firearms is standard practice in the psychiatric community when a patient is at risk for suicide, this case tragically illustrates the inadequacy of that system when patients at risk are not referred for appropriate treatment,” said Katie Mesner-Hage, who tried the case along with Koskoff. Koplin is currently serving a federal prison sentence for receipt of child pornography.

The case can be viewed at:

 http://vernon.patch.com/groups/editors-picks/p/family-doctor-who-practiced-in-vernon-gets-51-months-...