The Estate of Laverne Burrell

In 2002, Laverne Burrell died from complications of a punctured colon that was caused by a “colonic” that she had received four months earlier at a health spa. The procedure, which Ms. Burrell had never had before, used prescription medical devices that could only be possessed by, and used at the direction of, a state-licensed healthcare professional, but none of the employees of the spa were licensed healthcare professionals. In early 2004, the case settled for a confidential amount on terms that were very satisfactory to the clients.