Lawsuits Filed In Katrina Aftermath

Numerous wrongful death lawsuits have been filed against Uptown’s Memorial Medical Center and some of it personnel in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. According to reports, there is a current investigation concerning murder charges involving a doctor and two nurses. Two such suits have been filed on behalf of victims made subject of the criminal investigation. Future civil suits are expected in the days ahead as the unconscionable behavior of the staff there unfolds more and more everyday.

According to Nola.com:

Memorial, like the rest of the city, lost power and plumbing after the storm, and communications were spotty at best. Isolated by some of the deepest water in the city, patients and staffers and many of their families hunkered down in triple-digit heat to await rescue, survivors said. The horrific conditions and the long wait for evacuation forced the medical staff to adopt a triage procedure that left many patients at risk, Bruno said.

“They left the sickest people to themselves; they left the old ones to die,” he said. “If the hospital’s backup designs weren’t deficient and they hadn’t failed to follow evacuation procedures, then none of us would be talking about this today, and the doctors and nurses wouldn’t be in the position they’re in.”