Negligent Treatment: $615,000 at Arbitration
The male plaintiff had a history of schizophrenia when he went to Kaiser to have a pancreatic cyst removed. While receiving heavy pain medication after the procedure, the patient suffered a schizophrenic break. He exhibited irrational behavior and ran out of the hospital without his shirt, shoes and cell phone. Our client fled the facility and attempted to enter a stranger’s Cadillac Escalade. The startled driver hit the gas, knocking the man 30 feet breaking his clavicle. The plaintiff suffered a closed head injury, which required a craniotomy. He sued Kaiser for failing to conduct a mental status examination, failing to consult a psychiatrist or alert the staff about the man’s history of schizophrenia. The plaintiff claimed the hospital also failed to have staff on standby to sedate him in case he became a danger to himself or others. At arbitration, our client was awarded $615,000.
