2 Podiatrists Ordered to Halt Practices Pending Hearing on Suit by State

Two Los Angeles area podiatrists were ordered Friday to halt their practices pending a hearing on charges in a lawsuit by the attorney general’s office that they are engaged in unfair and fraudulent business practices.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge John L. Cole issued the temporary restraining order against Brian Carey and Karel Tikker, both licensed to practice podiatric medicine as specialists in foot disorders.

A Ventura County podiatrist named in the civil lawsuit, Edward H. Lazo, was excluded from the order. According to attorney Alexander Kirkpatrick, one of the lawyers representing the three in court Friday, Lazo is an independent contractor who “apparently came in for part-time work” at one of the clinics out of which Carey operated.

“We think there is insufficient evidence to enjoin (any of) them,” Kirkpatrick said after the hearing.

Charges in the lawsuit filed on behalf of the California Podiatry Examining Committee by Deputy Atty. Gen. Gail Heppell range from defrauding insurance companies and misrepresenting costs to performing surgery on a first visit without informed consent and acts of negligence.

It alleges that such incidents have occurred over the past four years at the Inglewood and Beverly Hills foot clinics operated by Carey.

Carey was arraigned in criminal court Dec. 19 on fraud and grand theft charges. He also has been named in several civil malpractice suits and has 40 previously filed felony counts still pending against him.

The civil suit filed Friday asks for civil penalties of $2,500 against each of the podiatrists for each violation of the business and professions code in an amount to be determined at trial but not less than $1 million.

Cole set Jan. 14 for a hearing to show cause why a preliminary injunction should not be issued.