Family receives $6.5 million in hospital negligence case

By Daniel Hawn

Published on March 21, 2006

Attorney Christopher Regan, who represented the plaintiffs, believes the award is the highest ever issued in Wood County. He said the outrageous behavior of the defendants warranted the large verdict.

According to the lawsuit, in September 2001, Hilda Broggs was taken to Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital after she sprained her ankle at the elementary school where she worked. She underwent surgery that night; however, the anesthesia she was given caused her heart to stop beating and her breathing to stop. She died at the hospital the following day.

According to the complaint, negligence on the part of the hospital's staff was the cause of Broggs' death. The lawsuit also alleges that the hospital destroyed evidence that implicated those involved. During the trial, documentation was presented to show that the heart monitor strips used during the surgery had the times removed from them in an effort to tamper with the evidence.

The jury found in favor of the plaintiffs, holding that the hospital's negligence was the cause of Broggs' death. It also held that the hospital kept information about Broggs' death from her husband, Ray Broggs.

The jury's decision included awards made to Broggs' husband, son, mother, and two brothers.

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