Reynolds' lawsuits focus on three defendants; others dropped

With one of the two Reynolds wrongful-death lawsuits scheduled for trial next month, the other one now has only one defendant.

Attorneys for Mark Reynolds and for New River Area Programs, d.b.a. New River Area Behavioral HealthCare, and Carol Elizabeth Miller Holcomb filed a stipulation of dismissal Sept. 3.

With the action by attorneys S. Luke Largess of Charlotte, who represents Mark Reynolds, and Elizabeth A. Martineau of Charlotte, who represents New River and Holcomb, the claims against New River and Holcomb were dismissed.

Then on Sept. 17, attorneys filed a voluntary stipulation of dismissal, with Reynolds dismissing claims against Alleghany Memorial Hospital and physician's assistant Donna Reeves.

That stipulation was filed by Largess; attorney Tamura D. Coffey of Winston-Salem, representing AMH; and Reeves' attorney, Richard V. Bennett of Winston-Salem.

The case is a currently pending lawsuit initiated by Reynolds, the son of the late Jackie Dean Reynolds and administrator of his estate, over his father's death five years ago and is scheduled for trial in April 2004. The dismissals involving New River, Holcomb, AMH and Reeves leave Dr. Thomas Douglas Murray as the only remaining defendant.

Events

Jackie Reynolds, a 46-year-old Wilkes County resident, was taken to AMH, then to the Alleghany County Jail, following a single-vehicle crash April 19, 1998 near Sparta.

He became unconscious following an altercation with law enforcement personnel at the jail. Reynolds was airlifted to N.C. Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, where he remained in a coma and died June 21, 1998.

The suit had claimed that the defendants were negligent in releasing Reynolds to the jail. He was acting in a bizarre, erratic manner when state Trooper Robert Lane brought him to the hospital, the suit stated. Reynolds was examined by Reeves and assessed by Holcomb, then an outpatient therapist and social worker for New River. Murray signed the emergency room note for Reynolds, and Lane then took him to the jail, charging him with driving while impaired and with careless and reckless driving.

In June (this year) Judge Michael E. Helms issued an order setting a timetable for discovery in the case, including identification of expert witnesses on both sides. Under that schedule, depositions were to be completed by Aug. 15.

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