Lawsuits persist even after New Hampshire hospital tech's guilty plea in hepatitis case

8/18/2013

CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire patients who were infected with hepatitis C by a traveling medical technician are happy that he pleaded guilty to federal drug charges last week. But they’re still pushing to hold the hospital and others accountable.

David Kwiatkowski admitted stealing painkiller syringes from hospitals where he worked and replacing them with saline-filled syringes tainted with his blood. He will be sentenced in December. In the meantime, more than 20 lawsuits against Exeter Hospital, a national accreditation organization two staffing agencies remain pending.

The state Supreme Court on Friday accepted a petition from Maxim Healthcare Services, which employed Kwiatkowski in 2008 and 2009. It wants the court to throw out an earlier ruling requiring its employees to travel to New Hampshire to be questioned by lawyers.