Va. teen’s drug death case settled for $1.5M

BEDFORD, Va. (AP) — An urgent care center has agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle the case of a Montvale teenager who died after being given a strong dose of painkillers for a sore throat.

The Roanoke Times reports (http://bit.ly/1pteCEY ) that a Bedford County judge approved the settlement last week.

In April 2013, 17-year-old Jessica Erin Hart’s mother took her to a MedExpress urgent care center in Roanoke County where she was given more than twice the recommended dose of Dilaudid. She stopped breathing before she could make it back home and died a few hours later.

Travis Graham, an attorney for the family, declined to comment on the settlement.

Dr. Vic Starcher, a MedExpress vice president, said company officials are grateful that a settlement satisfactory to all parties has been reached.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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