Mother claims adult daughter died after brain grew through fractured skull

An 18-year-old woman died after her brain grew through her fractured skull and attached itself to her scalp, her mother claims in a recently filed lawsuit.

Sandra Hall filed a lawsuit July 3 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Sparta Community Hospital, Rural Family Medicine Association, Red Bud Family Medicine, Dr. Elvira Salarda, Dr. Todd Vonderheide, Dr. Daniel Barr and Dr. J.M. Dugan.

Hall claims her daughter, Chelsea Weekley, died after a fracture in her skull expanded, allowing her brain to grow through the crack and attach to her scalp. Weekley had sustained the fractured skull as a baby when she fell on her head onto a concrete floor at Wal-Mart on Dec. 7, 1993, according to the complaint.

At the time, Barr treated Weekley for the injury at Sparta Community Hospital, diagnosing her with a concussion and bruising, the suit states. Salarda was Weekley’s childhood physician, who had provided her treatment at the time she sustained the skull fracture, the complaint says.

The remaining defendants also treated Weekley, but all failed to diagnose her with a skull fracture that was expanding throughout her youth, Hall claims.

Because of her daughter’s death, Hall lost her society and companionship and incurred medical costs.

She seeks a judgment of more than $250,000, plus costs.

Rhonda D. Fiss of Belleville will be representing her.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 13-L-345.