We acted for the family members of a woman who died by suicide while she was an inpatient at a mental health unit of a regional hospital.
During her admission, the deceased had continuously expressed feelings of profound pessimism and hopelessness. Four days before her death, she was placed on close 15-minute observations after informing the hospital staff that she was feeling suicidal.
The next day, close observations were ceased despite the hospital staff in the mental health unit acknowledging that she had chronic suicidal thoughts that had heightened over the last 24 hours.
Over the next couple of days, the deceased continued to express thoughts of death.
On the day of her death, the deceased reported that she was feeling anxious. She was given a sedative and taken to her room, where she was left alone for one hour. When a nurse returned to check on her, the deceased’s bathroom door was locked. When the door was finally able to be opened, the deceased fell onto the floor. She was unresponsive with a dressing gown cord around her neck. She had hanged herself after securing a dressing gown cord to a hinge of the bathroom door. A medical emergency team (MET) call was made and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was commenced. Sadly, the deceased was unable to be revived.
The family members of the deceased suffered psychiatric injuries as a result of the manner and circumstances of the deceased’s death.
We successfully settled the family members’ claims at mediation for an amount that compensated them for their pain and suffering, medical expenses, loss of income, and household assistance which they required as a result of their injuries.
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