John Lawler inquest

Summary

The John Lawler inquest was an inquest into the death of John Lawler in 2019. Lawler, an 80-year-old man, died following complications from a chiropractic treatment in York, England. He had sought relief for back pain at the clinic of chiropractor Arleen Scholten in August 2017, but during a spinal manipulation session, he suffered severe complications that led to his hospitalization and death the following day. A coroner's inquest was overseen by Jonathan Heath, which examined whether Scholten’s actions contributed to the fatal outcome. Although a connection between the treatment and Lawler’s death was identified, Scholten was not found criminally negligent. The case prompted the Judiciary of England and Wales to issue a prevention of future deaths report.