A Connecticut hospital is being held accountable for the wrongful death of Marcia Maglisco, who committed suicide after she was released from their care. It’s another case of hospital psychiatric malpractice with a grave ending.
Hartford Hospital and Dr. Carl Washburn are named in the lawsuit, which claims that Maglisco should have been kept overnight due to her fragile emotional state and suicidal thoughts.
Maglisco was brought to the hospital by police after she called 911 to report the accidental drowning of her 2 year old grandson, who was under her care at the time. Maglisco told the emergency dispatcher that she was “psychotic” and she wanted the police to shoot her.
The lawsuit claims that the clearly distraught woman was not properly evaluated and that she should have been admitted to the hospital because she was obviously a suicidal risk. Additionally, Dr. Washburn is being blamed for not providing the Maglisco family with a plan to care for the fragile woman.
Two days after being released from the hospital, Maglisco hung herself in her home.
We often think of the care we receive at hospitals as being purely physical in nature, but often times it goes beyond that. Many people go to hospital emergency rooms when they are experiencing suicidal thoughts in an attempt to get help because they don’t know where else to turn.
It seems there have been a lot of recent cases of psychiatric malpractice on the part of hospitals in the news lately. It’s important to remember that it’s the duty of hospital staff to properly evaluate and treat every patient that seeks treatment, even those that are not physical in nature. If you have lost a family member who didn’t receive adequate care for their mental illness, you may have legal rights. Speak with a medical lawyer to discuss your situation and find out more.
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