The family of a 35-year-old man who had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and called 911 from a hotel on January 12, 2024, stating that he was having a nervous breakdown and needed help, has filed a medical malpractice wrongful death lawsuit against the hospital where he was brought by ambulance and where he was placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold (known as a 1013). The lawsuit also names as defendants a psychiatric nurse practitioner, a physician, several nurses, and the parent corporate owners of the hospital.
The transcript of the 911 call shows that the man stated, “I’m having a nervous breakdown. I’m having suicidal thoughts. I don’t know what I’m doing. Please help me.”
The suicide malpractice lawsuit alleges that the hospital staff failed to provide the level of supervision for patients suffering a mental health crisis, arguing the lack of adequate staffing led to the man’s suicide. The family’s lawsuit alleges that the hospital’s dedicated psychiatric unit was closed on the day the man arrived at the hospital due to a staffing shortage.
The lawsuit alleges that the man was placed in a general Emergency Department room subject to “line of sight” observation. According to a police report, staff observed the man enter the bathroom unsupervised with multiple hospital gowns in his possession. The door to the bathroom was found to be locked and staff did not call hospital security for 30 minutes to break down the bathroom door. Once the door was forcibly opened, the man was found with a hospital gown around his neck and hanging from a bathroom handicap rail. The lawsuit alleges that the hospital violated its own policy that requires that a nurse or sitter accompany psychiatric patients to the bathroom.
The man was revived and placed on life support, but he never regained consciousness. Four days later, he died after his mother made the difficult decision to remove him from life support.
The family’s lawyer stated, “[Michael Sharadin] did everything right. His mom did everything right. This was so preventable. It was just a matter of keeping eyes on him.”
The defendant hospital issued a statement: “The loss of a loved one is devastating and our thoughts remain with this patient’s family and friends. We’re aware of the filing, which we are reviewing, and we will respond through the legal process. Our colleagues have dedicated their professional lives to caring for others and share in this family’s pain.”
If you or a loved one suffered serious harm as a result of mental health negligence in Georgia or in another U.S. state, you should promptly find a Georgia medical malpractice lawyer, or a medical malpractice lawyer in your state, who may investigate your mental health malpractice claim for you and represent you or your loved one in a mental health malpractice case, if appropriate.
Visit our website or call us toll-free in the United States at 800-295-3959 to find medical malpractice attorneys in your state who may assist you.
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