800,000 Settlement in a Medical Malpractice Action Against Psychiatric Hospital

11/26/2011
Randy Appleton
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Norfolk, VA Personal Injury Attorney Reports: $800,000 Settlement Reached Over Wrongful Death of Psychiatric Patient

Virginia Lawyers Weekly reports that an $800,000 settlement was obtained against a psychiatric hospital in a wrongful death lawsuit after one of its patients committed suicide.

As summarized in the magazine, the patient had been voluntarily admitted to the hospital because he was experiencing an overwhelming sense of dread and hearing voices telling him to hurt himself. The man denied having suicidal ideas. At some point, the man was confined to his room because he ad touched another patient inappropriately and could not respond to staff mmbers' questions about the incident. The on-call physician was not notified of the confinement, and the staff continued with the standard safety checks every 15 minutes. On one of these checks the patient was found hanged with his bedsheets.

It is very important for psychiatric hospitals to protect their patients. Unfortunately, this story is not the only example of shortcomings at psychiatric hospitals in the recent years. In 2010, for instance, Hancock Treatment Center in Williamsburg, Virginia (VA), was reported to have several problems related to a failure to protect patients from abuse.

Patients who suffer from a mental disease can be very vulnerable when a hospital’s staff fails to meet the necessary standard of care. These cases can also be hard to prove, but in the right factual circumstances, an experienced injury attorney can gather the proof needed to prevail in a medical malpractice case.

OEA

Category: Medical Malpractice/Doctor Mistakes

Labels: Appleton Attorney doctor mistake lawyer medical malpractice medical negligence patient psychiatric settlement standard of care Virginia Beach wrongful death

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia injury law firm whose attorneys focus on personal injury and accident law and have extensive experience handling medical malpractice and doctor mistake cases. Please take a few moments to review our medical malpractice case results. We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, VA, but we're ready to come to you anywhere in Virginia, including Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Newport News and Suffolk, VA, if you've been seriously hurt by the carelessness of a doctor, surgeon, nurse or pharmacist.

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been recognized as among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. Also, Rick and Jim have been named Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law since 2010. Fewer than 5 percent of lawyers are chosen for this professional honor.

Members of our VA personal injury law firm have also been selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009. In addition, we were the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical and respected law firms. Our VA medical malpractice firm has the highest rating of AV from Martindale-Hubbell, a national lawyer ranking organization, which means we have a reputation for preeminent legal skill.

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Norfolk, VA Personal Injury Attorney Reports: $800,000 Settlement Reached Over Wrongful Death of Psychiatric Patient

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