Brandi Booth, acting as the administratrix of her late husband Dustin Booth’s estate, has taken legal action against a doctor for alleged professional negligence and wrongful death. The complaint was filed on October 15, 2024, in the Warren County Court of Common Pleas against Dr. Jonathan Lazzara. The case revolves around the treatment and discharge of Dustin Booth from Atrium Medical Center’s behavioral health unit in February 2022, which Brandi claims were mishandled by Dr. Lazzara.
The lawsuit alleges that Dr. Lazzara failed to properly diagnose and treat Dustin Booth during his hospitalization from February 1 to February 7, 2022. According to Brandi Booth, her husband’s behavior had become increasingly erratic in January 2022, prompting a crisis intervention that led to his involuntary admission to the hospital under Ohio’s “pink slip” process for mental health emergencies. During his stay at Atrium Medical Center, Dr. Lazzara diagnosed Dustin with Bipolar Disorder I with mania but allegedly neglected to consider substance use disorders or provide appropriate treatments for them.
Dr. Lazzara discharged Dustin on February 7, citing improvements in his condition; however, within days of returning home, Dustin’s behavior reportedly deteriorated again. This culminated in a tragic confrontation with law enforcement on February 11, resulting in his death from gunshot wounds inflicted by police officers during an attempted traffic stop.
Brandi Booth contends that Dr. Lazzara acted negligently by not gathering sufficient collateral information from family members and failing to implement a safe discharge plan that accounted for community safety and Dustin’s ongoing mental health needs. She argues that these failures contributed directly to her husband’s untimely death and seeks relief through damages for professional negligence and wrongful death.
The court ultimately granted summary judgment in favor of Dr. Lazzara on May 22, 2025, citing statutory immunity under R.C. 5122.34 for actions taken in good faith during the hospitalization or discharge of a mental health patient. Despite expert testimony presented by Brandi challenging Dr. Lazzara’s adherence to professional standards of care, the court found no genuine issue of material fact regarding his good faith actions.
Representing Brandi Booth is attorney Konrad Kircher from Kircher Law LLC while Reminger Co., LPA attorneys Brianna M. Prislipsky, Susan Blasik-Miller, and Meredith Turner-Woolley represent Dr. Jonathan Lazzara. The case was presided over by Judge Robert A. Hendrickson under Case No: CA2025-05-038.
Source: 2026Ohio225_Booth_v_Lazzara_DO_Opinion_Ohio_Court_of_Appeals.pdf