The Alabama Supreme Court has affirmed a $10 million judgment against Springhill Medical Center in Mobile, marking the largest amount ever upheld by the state’s highest court in a single wrongful death lawsuit.
The case stemmed from the 2014 death of Jay West, who died in the hospital after a routine thumb surgery. According to attorneys at Cunningham Bounds, who represented West’s family, West had cut the tip of his left thumb while working at his cabinet shop on June 14, 2014. He drove himself to Springhill Medical Center, where doctors surgically repaired the injury.
A Fatal Dose of Pain Medication
After the procedure, a surgeon prescribed West Percocet for pain and ordered up to 4 milligrams of IV Dilaudid as a backup. West was transferred to the hospital’s orthopedic floor for the night and was scheduled to go home the next day.
Within 10 hours of surgery, West was found dead in his hospital room. Attorneys said his nurse had administered 4 milligrams of IV Dilaudid, then gave him another 4 milligrams less than two hours later. After the second dose, West was not monitored by any member of the nursing staff.
Failure to Follow Safety Guidelines
According to the Sentinel Event Alert published by the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, West should have been identified as being at high risk for opioid-induced respiratory depression. Attorneys argued that Springhill Medical Center failed to implement safety measures or provide training to its nursing staff on protecting patients from the dangers of opioid-induced respiratory depression.
Nine Years of Litigation
Brian Duncan, one of the attorneys who represented the West family, said the case took nine years to resolve. “Mrs. West deeply values the dedication and bravery demonstrated by every juror involved in the case,” Duncan said. “She expresses her heartfelt gratitude for the Alabama Supreme Court’s affirmance of the Mobile County Circuit Court’s rulings. After a nine-year journey, justice has at last been served for her husband’s tragic and entirely avoidable death.”