Patient, wife win $5 million in lawsuit
Published: July 2, 2009
PROVIDENCE—A Superior Court jury has found that Roger Williams Medical Center must pay a Providence man and his wife nearly $5 million, plus interest, because the hospital failed to provide adequate care.
The Providence Journal reported Thursday that the finding stems from a lawsuit filed by Leo Villegas, who fell from his hospital bed and fractured his hip.
Villegas went to the hospital after suffering a stroke in 2005. Jurors found that the facility breached its standard of care by failing to activate his bed alarm and failing to train its staff sufficiently about patients at high risk of falling.
Last Thursday, the jury awarded Villegas $3.9 million and an additional $1.09 million to his wife.
A spokesman said the hospital plans to appeal.
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Reader Reactions
Yes, five mil is way outside the realm of logical expectation—about ten to twenty times the amount. This is indeed why health care is so expensive.
I agree pacman.
And we wonder why health care is sooooo expensive. Although, I am not familiar with any permanent/long term effects of the broken hip $5 mil seems outside the rhealm of being reasonable.
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