On June 5, 2025, a medical malpractice wrongful death lawsuit was filed in a Connecticut state court by the administrator of the estate of a patient who died while she was a restrained patient receiving mental health crisis care in a hospital.
The Complaint states, in part:
On the evening of April 20, 2024, the plaintiff’s decedent, Gay Sherman Weintz, was brought from her home by ambulance to the emergency department of the Shoreline Medical Center for altered mental status, bizarre behavior, and an episode of urinary incontinence.
After consulting with the on-call crisis clinician, Katharine F. Campbell, M.D., ordered the plaintiff’s decedent to be transferred to the Middlesex Hospital emergency department for observation and further crisis intervention evaluation.
The plaintiff’s decedent arrived at the Middlesex Hospital emergency department at approximately 9:40 p.m., on April 20, 2024. Vital signs were not taken upon the plaintiff’s decedent’s arrival to Middlesex Hospital. The order for constant observation was continued, and a hospital sitter was assigned to the plaintiff’s decedent. Overnight, the plaintiff’s decedent exhibited agitated behavior, was administered sedative medication, and was placed in four-point locking wrist restraints from approximately 2:30 a.m. to 4:00 a.m., on April 21, 2024.
On April 21, 2024, at approximately 6:19 a.m., the first set of vital signs was taken at Middlesex Hospital, indicating that the plaintiff’s decedent was experiencing tachycardia (heart rate greater than 100 beats per minute). At approximately 8:06 a.m., on April 21, 2024, the plaintiff’s decedent underwent a crisis evaluation. Notes from the crisis evaluation indicate that the plaintiff’s decedent had recently restarted high doses of psychiatric medications without titration or supervision.
Due to her behavior, Matthew J. Neulander, M.D., ordered locking wrist restraints for the plaintiff’s decedent at approximately 8:45 a.m. The plaintiff’s decedent, Gay Sherman Weintz, was placed in locking wrist restraints at approximately 9:05 a.m., on April 21, 2024. Matthew J. Neulander, M.D., thereafter ordered an enclosed net bed for
the plaintiff’s decedent.
At approximately 4:55 a.m., on April 22, 2024, a nurse took the plaintiff’s decedent’s vital signs, which revealed tachycardia and elevated blood pressure. At approximately 6:53 a.m., a different nurse assumed care of the
plaintiff’s decedent and noted a respiratory rate of 16 breaths per minute, and documented that, “per previous RN, patient continues with hypertension and heart rate 110s to 120s. Provider aware.”
Some time prior to 8:45 a.m., the hospital sitter who was assigned to the plaintiff’s decedent left the room and, in so doing, failed to maintain constant observation of the decedent because the sitter failed to keep the decedent in his or her direct field of vision.
At approximately 8:45 a.m., the hospital sitter who was assigned to constantly observe the plaintiff’s decedent documented that the plaintiff’s decedent was quiet and lying down when the sitter was not present in the decedent’s room and was, therefore, not observing the decedent at that time.
At approximately 8:59 a.m., a nurse attempted to take the plaintiff’s decedent’s vital signs and found her pulseless and apneic. The nurse informed the attending physician and began chest compressions.
Resuscitative efforts were unsuccessful and the plaintiff’s decedent, Gay Sherman Weintz, was pronounced deceased at approximately 9:07 a.m., on April 22, 2024.
The Complaint alleges: “As a result of one or more of the above deviations from the applicable standard of care, and the medical negligence of the agents, apparent agents, servants, and/or employees of the Middlesex Health defendants, including the attending physicians in the emergency departments of the Shoreline Medical Center and Middlesex Hospital, the plaintiff’s decedent, Gay Sherman Weintz, suffered a fatal cardiac arrhythmia in the
setting of acute delirium, which resulted in her untimely death.”
If you or a loved one may have been injured (or worse) as a result of mental health malpractice in Connecticut or in another U.S. state, you should promptly find a mental health malpractice lawyer in Connecticut, or in your state, who may investigate your mental health malpractice claim for you and represent you or your loved one in a mental health medical malpractice case, if appropriate.
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