Novak v. Rathnam

On April 5, 1982, the plaintiff, David M. Novak filed a wrongful death action in the circuit court of Peoria County, alleging that the defendants Allen Rathnam, a psychiatrist, and David Girmscheid, a psychologist, employees of the Zeller Mental Health Center (Zeller) in Peoria, Illinois, were negligent in approving the discharge of Robert Lee Endicott, who also was named as a defendant, from Zeller. Subsequent to his release, Endicott traveled to Florida, where he shot and killed Beverly Novak, the plaintiff’s daughter. On March 7, 1983, the circuit court of Peoria County ordered Rathnam and…