Man Takes Own Life While on Suicide Watch
Jun 17, 2019
Tampa, FL (Law Firm Newswire) June 17, 2019 – A man voluntarily sought help at the Centerstone facility in Bradenton, Florida. The center placed the man on suicide watch, which meant checkups every 15 minutes. A couple days later, he was found dead in a bathroom, at the facility.
The man’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging the hospital failed to follow its own suicide watch protocol and did not remove all objects that could have been used for self-harm. Surveillance at the facility offers proof that the man was given medication at 9:36 p.m. and no one checked on him until the next morning.
The local County Sheriff’s Office found a “clear failure” by the Centerstone staff member who was supposed to monitor the man, but did not call it a crime. The investigative report also suggested the cause of the incident was either the failure of the hospital to follow their own policies or staff laziness.
The mental health technician in question inferred that suicide watch checks were not done for all patients and when they came on shift they were given a verbal report on who to check and who could be left to sleep. The technician claimed they were told the man did not need continuous observation. The lawsuit alleges that, that information was at odds with written orders on the medical chart which stated “suicide continuous observation.”
If someone dies as the result of negligence by another, the victim’s survivors may sue for wrongful death. A wrongful death lawsuit typically seeks compensation for the survivors’ loss, such as funeral and burial expenses, loss of income, loss of benefits, survivor’s pain and suffering, child care, and in some cases punitive damages.
“Wrongful death cases are difficult for everyone involved, and in this instance, the family wants to make sure that they send a clear message with their lawsuit that this should never happen again to anyone else,” said Robert Joyce, a Tampa wrongful death attorney with Joyce & Reyes, not involved in the case. Joyce & Reyes are well known and respected attorneys in Tampa, Florida.
To learn more about filing a wrongful death suit please visit the Joyce & Reyes website.
Joyce and Reyes Law Firm, P.A.
307 S Hyde Park Ave
Tampa, FL 33606
Call: 813.251.2007
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