Washington State’s Pierce County Settles Hospital Negligence Case
Pierce County is paying $1.3 million to settle a lawsuit over injuries suffered by a mentally ill patient who hurt himself while escaping from the window of a county-owned mental hospital over five years ago. According to an Associated Press news report, the 27-year-old man was in a seclusion room on the hospital’s fifth floor when he climbed out a window and attempted to jump 15 to 20 feet to a fire escape landing. The man sustained several broken bones as a result of the fall. Family members allege that his injuries occurred because he was not properly monitored by staff at the Puget Sound Hospital.
Hospitals can be held accountable for the negligence caused by the doctors, surgeons, nurses and administrative staff. Hospitals have a standard of care and rules, policies and procedures for staff to follow. If carelessness or negligence on the part of any hospital staff member leads to personal injuries or death, the hospital can be held responsible. Such errors can happen not only in the operation room, but also during post-operative care or as it occurred in this case, with lack of supervision or monitoring.
If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of hospital negligence in Washington, please contact the experienced Seattle personal injury attorneys with The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE, comprehensive and confidential consultation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure, which has useful, educational information to help you better understand your legal rights and options. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.
Source:http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010678149_apwapatientsuit.html?syndication=rss
