Retired academic who claims Limerick hospital's medication left him in wheelchair settles case

Mr Regelski's pneumonia was treated with an antibiotic called Levoflaxin and various steroids.

81-year-old Thomas Regelski, a retired Professor of Music, was treated at University Hospital Limerick for pneumonia in late June 2019. File picture: Dan Linehan

An American retired music professor who claimed a side-effect of treatment he received at an Irish hospital allegedly left him with severe mobility problems has settled a High Court action against the HSE.

The claim, which was settled without an admission of liability, was brought by 81-year-old Thomas Regelski, a retired Professor of Music arising out of his treatment at University Hospital Limerick for pneumonia in late June 2019.

He claimed the hospital was allegedly negligent by administering him a combination of medication that he alleged caused the tendons in his legs to rupture, leaving him with permanent severe injuries. He says he has to use a wheelchair. The HSE had denied all claims.

Mr Regelski, a US national who resides in Helsinki, Finland, was for many years a Professor of Music at a New York University. He also taught music at universities in Japan, Finland where he was a Fulbright Scholar, and at Harvard University.

He was holidaying in Ireland when he was admitted to the hospital for four days on June 22, 2019. Mr Regelski claimed that after being diagnosed with pneumonia he was treated with several different antibiotics, including an antibiotic called Levoflaxin, and various steroids.

It was claimed that both national and European guidelines advise against the use of a Levoflaxin and steroids combination in persons over 60 years of age. This, he alleged, was due to the risk of adverse reactions, including tendon rupture, especially in his age group.

He sued the HSE. He claimed that due to the damage to his tendons he has been largely confined to a wheelchair and has extremely limited mobility. In its defence, the HSE denied the claims and had argued that he was not entitled to any damages.

The matter was briefly mentioned before Mr Justice Paul Coffey on Tuesday, who was told that the action had been settled, and that the claim could be struck out. Details of the settlement are confidential.

Separate related case

The settlement brings to an end litigation brought by Mr Regelski arising out of his treatment in Ireland.

In an earlier separate, but related, action he brought judicial review proceedings over the Minister for Social Protection's failure to provide him with a Personal Public Service number.

He required a PPS so he could bring his medical negligence claim against the HSE and had claimed that the Minister's failure to provide him with the PPS was a breach of his rights. That action was resolved in his favour out of court.