The parents of Andrea Selby have filed an $8.2 million lawsuit against Kaiser Permanente claiming they refused to admit their suicidal daughter despite her threats to jump off the third story of the hospital’s parking garage.
In June 2014, Andrea Selby was being treated at Brookside Center, a Kaiser Permanente mental health facility. According to the suit, Ms. Selby was suffering from “severe and menacing delusions” and had a history of harming herself. Ms. Selby’s mother “repeatedly implored the staff to take all necessary precautions to protect her.” Nonetheless, Kaiser “refused to place a psychiatric hold” on Ms. Selby and discharged her. Ms. Selby’s father convinced her to return to the hospital, but within 24 hours, Ms. Selby was again discharged.
According to the suit, on the night of June 6, 2014, Ms. Selby returned to Kaiser and spent the night in the emergency room’s waiting area. Despite Ms. Selby’s statement that she was going to jump off of Kaiser’s three story parking structure, at approximately 11:00 a.m. on June 7, 2014, security escorted her off of the property. While being escorted by security, Ms. Selby threw a duffel bag with her belongings into a trash can and said she was “hearing voices.” Off campus, Ms. Selby set her hair on fire, then returned to Kaiser, where she jumped off the third floor of the parking garage.
Ms. Selby suffered a traumatic brain injury, broken pelvis and leg, and ruptured bladder. Among other things, the suit alleges Kaiser failed to administer psychiatric medications and failed to re-hospitalize Ms. Selby, who now “needs to be institutionalized because of her inability to care for herself.”
When someone is injured or dies due to a health care provider’s negligence, financial recovery may be available. Such recovery is particularly important when permanent, life changing injuries are incurred. It is important to contact someone who understands the intricacies of the party’s right to recover.
Medical malpractice is a difficult area of law as it requires an understanding of both the legal practice and the mechanics of medicine. Abraham Watkins offers a free consultation to anyone wishing to pursue such claims.