Thirty-Four Year Old Woman Awarded $15.9 Million in a Medical Malpractice Case Against Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Park Nicollet Medical Center

Minneapolis, MN
April 4, 1996

A Hennepin County jury awarded $15.9 million to an Anoka, Minnesota woman who sustained a self-inflicted traumatic brain injury while she was hospitalized on a locked psychiatric unit at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. It is the largest personal injury verdict awarded in Minnesota to date.

Patricia Koehler, 34, was diagnosed with a serious psychiatric disorder, which, during its acute periods, caused her severe depression and uncontrollable suicidal feelings. She sought treatment from James Ginsberg, M.D., a psychiatrist at Park Nicollet Medical Center, and was admitted to Abbott Northwestern Hospital for observation. Upon admission, Ms. Koehler informed the nursing staff of her specific plan to hang herself. Within 56 hours, the nursing staff left Ms. Koehler unattended in her room with an unlocked bathroom door. She hung herself and, by the time she was found, suffered severe brain damage. She is now totally and permanently disabled and requires 24-hour attendant care. Ms. Koehler’s attorney, John Sheehy, Meshbesher & Spence, Ltd. of Minneapolis, Minnesota, said, “The law imposes a clear and high standard of care on hospitals and physicians to protect patients from self-inflicted injury. Dr. Ginsberg, Park Nicollet and Abbott Northwestern Hospital voluntarily undertook the duty to protect Ms. Koehler from injuring herself. A patient cannot be held responsible for failing to care for herself because the hospital and doctor assumed that duty.”

The evidence indicated Dr. Ginsberg failed to order one-to-one supervision during the acute phase of Ms. Koehler’s illness and left the level of intervention to the nursing staff. The hospital staff imposed one-to-one observation for a time but discontinued it shortly after Ms. Koehler’s admission. No staff member took responsibility for discontinuing the care and it was not charted in Ms. Koehler’s records. Sheehy said, “The life-sustaining one-to-one care ended without any reasoned assessment and without even a chart note identifying when, why, and by whom the staffing reduction was made. One-to-one observation is like life-support and it should not have been discontinued without a physician’s order.”

According to memorandum filed with the Court, Ms. Koehler’s brain injury has caused significant blindness and memory and cognitive impairment. Ms. Koehler cannot live independently and is currently a resident of Trevilla Nursing Home in Golden Valley, Minnesota. Sheehy also said the verdict will allow Ms. Koehler to live in her own home or apartment with a 24-hour live-in attendant care. He said, “The nursing home is not a good environment for her because of her particular deficits and problems.”

Ms. Koehler’s attorneys anticipate an appeal due to the size of the verdict.

John P. Sheehy, Ronald I. Meshbesher, and Michael C. Snyder of Meshbesher & Spence, Ltd represented Patricia Koehler.