Children sue St. Elizabeth's over mother's death

The children of a recently deceased woman claim she died after doctors failed to timely diagnose her with a high "International Normalized Ratio."

Cathie Gay and Joseph Coddington filed a lawsuit Oct. 12 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against St. Elizabeth’s Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, Dr. Ricardo Garchitorena and nurses Elizabeth Nonn and Robin Thomas.

The plaintiffs claim their mother, Judith Daubach, received treatment at defendant St. Elizabeth’s Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Franics in Belleville on Nov. 21, 2010.

While Daubach was at the hospital, however, defendants Dr. Ricardo Garchitorena and nurses Nonn and Thomas failed to timely diagnose her with elevated International Normalized Ratio, failed to render treatment to lower those levels and gave Daubach Cephalexin, which failed to help her, according to the complaint.

In turn, Daubach was hospitalized until she died on Dec. 26, 2010, the suit states.

Because of their mother’s death, Gay and Coddington have lost her consortium and society, the complaint says.

In their four-count suit, the plaintiffs seek a judgment of more than $600,000, plus costs.

Nathan C. Lanter of Nelson and Nelson in Belleville will be representing them.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 12-L-545.