Brakoulias v Karunaharan [2012] VSC 272
In June 2012, The Supreme Court of Victoria considered the
statutory and common law standard of care for professionals.
Mrs Brakoulias attended her general practitioner in the latter
months of 2004, seeking help with weight loss. Dr Karunaharan
prescribed a weight loss drug (Reductil) and monitored Mrs
Brakoulias' progress thereafter. In December 2004, Mrs
Brakoulias suffered a ventricular fibrillation arrest and stopped
breathing. She was resuscitated but having been deprived of oxygen
for 26 minutes, she suffered a serious hypoxic brain injury.
Mrs Brakoulias alleged that Dr Karunaharan was negligent in
prescribing her Reductil and that the Reductil caused her cardiac
arrest. The jury determined that Dr Karunaharan had not been
negligent in her management and treatment of Mrs Brakoulias and the
proceeding was dismissed with costs.
