Joyce Davis enjoyed traveling to California to spend time with her daughter. On this fateful day, she walked past an empty nurse station; the door was unlocked. Unaware of the danger ahead, Davis fell into a pit. The incident marked the beginning of her last tormenting days on earth. Construction negligence at St. Joseph Care Centre had destroyed the life of the 85-year-old.
The Damage
The pitfall left Davis with severe brain injury as well as a subdural hematoma. The brain injury was so traumatic that she could not recognize her daughter three weeks before her demise. During her last breathing days on earth, she suffered from horrible dreams and nightmares. In court, attorneys Charlie Rohr together with Charles Conrad narrated the ordeal, vividly describing how she spent her last days screaming as if demons had visited her in her sleep.
The Case
In the quest for justice, the family moved to the court through the attorneys filing a civil lawsuit against the Health Care Centre for negligence that resulted in the tragic death of Davis. The daughter of the deceased, Kathy Davis said that the center’s negligence took away her mother and best friend.
“It will not bring my mother back, but their negligence killed her;” she said.
DHIS Supporting Evidence
The lawsuit further cites that Washington Department of health and social services had conducted an inspection of the facility and noted that they violated safety codes by leaving the doors unlocked. The department made a 58-page report that the doors, three doors, remained unlocked risking the lives of many people. Despite receiving a summary, the facility did not take measures to correct the situation until it claimed the first victim.
Victims Medical Background
Kathy told the court that her mother was taken to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center after falling while walking, but was transferred to St. Joseph for upper body strength exercise that would help her regain her normal walking conditions.
It was during her stay at St. Joseph that Joyce Davis wandered around and managed to leave her room without being detected. She explained that her mother suffered from insomnia. It also raised several concerns about safety in the facility. How can a patient wander around undetected? Do the beds have safety rails? Are there alarms in the center to assist staff and manage patients with such conditions?
Davis was reported missing on 22 February at 10 PM and was found at 1 AM the following day. She survived thanks to the holes that air inside the pit but had to withstand temperatures of 32 degrees. She died on March 15, 2017.
The family is looking for medical relief, funeral expenses and other costs determined by the court.
