Harry Potter Forums

Posts: 28293

Legal claim filed over death at NYC psych ward
By SAMANTHA GROSS

NEW YORK (AP) — The daughter of a woman who died unnoticed on the floor of a hospital psychiatric unit called Tuesday for criminal prosecution of the workers who did nothing to help her.

"What I want is justice," Tecia Harrison said, hours after her family notified the hospital, the city and the city's Health and Hospitals Corporation that they intend to file a $25 million lawsuit. "Whoever committed a criminal act should be held responsible."

Surveillance footage showed the death of Esmin Elizabeth Green, 49, who collapsed face-down on the floor of the Kings County Hospital Center's psychiatric emergency waiting room, where she had been for nearly 24 hours.

She was largely ignored for about an hour. Security guards and a member of the Brooklyn hospital's staff appear to notice her prone body at least three times without making any visible efforts to see if she needed help.

By the time a woman from the medical staff approached her, nudging Green's body with her foot, the stricken patient was already dead.

Alan Aviles, president of the Health and Hospitals Corporation, which oversees Kings County Hospital, said in a statement that new staff, procedures and training since Green's death on June 19 would likely be supplemented by further reforms.

"We failed Esmin Green and believe her family deserves fair and just compensation," Aviles said. "HHC referred this matter to criminal enforcement and regulatory authorities on June 20. We have been cooperating and will continue to support any and all investigations."

The city Department of Investigation is examining the case with the cooperation of the Health and Hospitals Corporation, said DOI spokeswoman Dianne Struzzi. The Brooklyn district attorney's office is also involved, and will decide whether to prosecute, Struzzi said. The medical examiner's office has performed an autopsy and is doing further tests to determine the cause of death.

At 31, Harrison is the eldest of the six children Green left behind in Jamaica when she moved to the United States in 2000 to find work. Now, Harrison is left with questions about how her mother ended up involuntarily committed to the psychiatric ward — falling ill and dying hundreds of miles from her immediate family and with no one by her side.

"It was heartbreaking," Harrison said of watching the video. "Something inside of me died right there with my mom."

The family's lawyer, Sanford Rubenstein, accused the hospital staff of attempting to cover up neglect. In patient records marked 6 a.m. and 6:20 a.m., when surveillance footage shows Green on the floor, hospital staff wrote instead that she was "awake, up and about" or sitting quietly.

Six people were fired after her death in the psychiatric unit, which had already been a subject of complaints and lawsuits by advocates for the mentally ill. The Department of Justice began investigating allegations of patient mistreatment at the hospital earlier this year.

Associated Press

Surveillance video... click here....
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25588407/
Then go towards the right and click on the video.
_________________

Blame it on a simple twist of fate ~ Bob Dylan
Team Cucumber, FTW!

Posts: 9593 · Posted: July 10, 2008 7:39 am Post subject:

wow that really sucks.

but it goes to show how people just ignore the mentally ill.

i mean i have my qualms with the system and how some shouldnt be allowed out in society (ie. the news story about the aunt who made two young kids walk naked on the LIE, a highway in NY, and they all died.. the mother knew her sister was unstable and still let her take the kids.)

or my aunt who tried to kill my g-father and is allowed out in society as long as she takes her medication which imo is stupid.

but people who are in the facility should be looked after better.
_________________

"The voices in my head are telling me to kill you"

Posts: 28374 · Posted: July 10, 2008 10:23 am Post subject:

tsk tsk tsk... i dont know what to say. but that hospital should pay for damages.
_________________

Posts: 3646 · Posted: July 10, 2008 10:34 am Post subject:

Yeah, I saw the video that was featured on AOL. I was like "Are these people retarded that they would just leave that woman there? Dying?"

Just disgusting and pathetic. Evil or Very Mad

_________________

Yas and Simmy - Putting Luna on catwalks since 2008!

Posts: 5302 · Posted: July 10, 2008 5:45 pm Post subject:

That is horrible.

I dont know how people could of just stood by and watched her die. I mean If I was sitting in that room I would of went over to see what was wrong. She fell to the floor and was obviously in pain. Those had to be some heartless people. That family should get that 25 million dollars that they seek. Should get more in my opinion. That woman did not have to die.
_________________

Click Here! HP-ROLEPLAY

And Here!Vampire RP

And Here! Pirates RP

Posts: 3916 · Joined: Aug 15, 2007 Location: TEXAS Posts: 3916

This reminds me of seeing that video where this 60 year old man got hit by a car and no one helped him for.. i think an hour? he was just lying there in the street unconscious and no one stopped for him.

This is a little more disturbing though because it is AT a hospital.. where helping you is their job, and this lady was ignored. I just don't get it. But I'm glad people lost their jobs for it - obviously they were very poor at performing their duties. And a nurse nudging the lady with her foot? WTF is that? She wasn't some dog, geez.
_________________

^ HP Chat & Games

Posts: 28293 · Posted: July 10, 2008 7:36 pm Post subject:

Posts: 399 · Posted: July 17, 2008 12:23 pm Post subject:

That's horrible what happened to her.
_________________

Teenage angst and melodramas...heehee.

Posts: 28374 · Posted: July 17, 2008 1:45 pm Post subject:

well they should be fired and the hospital should pay for damages.

hah... what damages though? you cant attach a price tag to the life of a person.

the staff there should have their licenses removed from them. was that done? its not enough that they lose their jobs. it clearly shows that they are careless and inconsiderate and definitely incapable of being doctors and nurses. we dont want them hanging around in another hospital with a record of being apathetic towards their patients.
_________________

Posts: 4638 · Joined: Nov 25, 2006 Location: Home of the hits Posts: 4638

Posts: 9593 · Posted: July 18, 2008 6:32 am Post subject:

yea they shoulda shocked her with a cattle prod

j/k
_________________

"The voices in my head are telling me to kill you"

Posts: 3923 · Posted: July 19, 2008 10:35 am Post subject:

whoa, that seems to be horrible. you ended up dying in some mental place that is really far from your family or someone you love and nobody really cares that you are dying then you died. those doctors and nurses are so inconsiderate and bad you know.
_________________

my first ever fan fic!!!The adventures of Jamie, wizard in training

Posts: 28374 · Posted: July 26, 2008 2:18 am Post subject:

i know. when i was at the hospital just last friday i was thinking of that... what if nobody assisted me at the ER and i just bled to death? well hopefully they were all very attentive.
_________________

Posts: 1582 · Joined: Aug 2, 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 1582

Harry Potter Forums

Harry Potter Community and Bulletin Boards