Hospital Discharges Sick, Unresponsive Patient Via Taxi & He Arrives Home Dead. Mom Sues Security, Not Hosp
Deborah Washington of Fayetteville, NC is suing AlliedBarton Security Services, a company which provides security guards for Cumberland County Hospital, for placing her son A’Darrin Washington, 30, into a taxi cab where he was found dead when he arrived home, reports Courthouse News. Her son was unconscious during the 45-minute trip home, where his mom and family received him “unresponsive and cold to the touch,” according to the lawsuit.
Hospital staff noted that he was “uncooperative,” and “refused to talk or move,” and instead of determining why A’Darrin was unresponsive, a nurse called a security guard to remove him from his hospital bed to the lobby, and {...} Two security officers took him to the lobby, lifted him from his wheelchair into the taxi and secured him with a seat-belt while he was unresponsive, according to the complaint. At least two members of the hospital staff “expressed concerns” about Washington, and the taxi driver was concerned that he was already dead, the mom claims. Nonetheless, the security workers loaded him into the taxi, and even crossed his legs for him, the mother says.
His mom claims she suffered severe distress when her son’s body was left in the taxi in the front yard for four hours, while police investigated. She seeks compensatory and punitive damages for negligence, wrongful death and negligent infliction of emotional distress. Neither Cumberland County Hospital nor AlliedBarton Security Services have released a statement.
A’Darrin, who died on Nov. 22, 2011, suffered with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and had reportedly been treated as a patient at Cumberland County Hospital off and on for 10 years. On Nov. 14, 2011, one week before his death, A’Darrin was admitted to the hospital and misdiagnosed as suffering from bacterial pneumonia. Subsequent tests revealed that he had fungal pneumonia and had been receiving the wrong medication.
http://blackamericaweb.com/198095/hospital...
Hospital staff noted that he was “uncooperative,” and “refused to talk or move,” and instead of determining why A’Darrin was unresponsive, a nurse called a security guard to remove him from his hospital bed to the lobby, and {...} Two security officers took him to the lobby, lifted him from his wheelchair into the taxi and secured him with a seat-belt while he was unresponsive, according to the complaint. At least two members of the hospital staff “expressed concerns” about Washington, and the taxi driver was concerned that he was already dead, the mom claims. Nonetheless, the security workers loaded him into the taxi, and even crossed his legs for him, the mother says.
His mom claims she suffered severe distress when her son’s body was left in the taxi in the front yard for four hours, while police investigated. She seeks compensatory and punitive damages for negligence, wrongful death and negligent infliction of emotional distress. Neither Cumberland County Hospital nor AlliedBarton Security Services have released a statement.
A’Darrin, who died on Nov. 22, 2011, suffered with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and had reportedly been treated as a patient at Cumberland County Hospital off and on for 10 years. On Nov. 14, 2011, one week before his death, A’Darrin was admitted to the hospital and misdiagnosed as suffering from bacterial pneumonia. Subsequent tests revealed that he had fungal pneumonia and had been receiving the wrong medication.
http://blackamericaweb.com/198095/hospital...
Why is his mother suing the Security Company alone? Rather she should be suing the Hospital for misdiagnosis, premature discharge, and for hiring the Security Company that supply the guards at least that's what I think unless she works for the hospital.