BELLEVILLE - Several health care facilities are being sued after a man allegedly died from severe septic shock resulting from a fall at a dialysis center.
Glenn Harris, as administrator of the estate of the late Lewis Harris, filed suit June 12 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Village Health, Davita Integrated Kidney Care, and Protestant Memorial Medical Center, doing business as the Memorial Care Center.
The suit claims violations of the Nursing Home Care Act, wrongful death and was also filed under provisions of the survival statute.
According to the complaint, Davita owned and operated a facility on Goose Lake Road in Sauget, Ill.. Lewis Harris was on the premises on June 13, 2018, where he was receiving dialysis treatment.
The decedent allegedly "fell to the floor because the automatic door closed unexpectedly and struck him when he attempted to exit the premises using only the assistance of a cane, thereby knocking him to the ground."
From June 16, 2018, to July 27, 2018, Lewis Harris was a resident of the Memorial Care Center where he was being cared for while recovering from injuries suffered as a result of the fall. From October through early November, he was also a resident following the amputation of his right leg.
During this time in the Memorial Care Center, the plaintiff claims Lewis Harris "developed severe decubitus ulcers." He was admitted to Memorial Hospital in November, allegedly suffering from septic shock.
"On January 15, 2019, Lewis Harris died from multiple organ system failure due to severe septic shock due to Enterococcus faecium bacteremia that originated in a sacral decubitus ulcer," the suit states.
The plaintiff alleges Davita breached the Nursing Home Care Act by failing to assist the patient following dialysis treatment, failing to properly inspect a premises which led to the fall, failing to warn of a dangerous situation, and failing to replace a defective automatic door.
Under the wrongful death and survival acts, the medical care center is accused of failing to properly assess the patient, failing to have an appropriate care plan, and failing to prevent and treat his decubitus ulcers.
The plaintiff is seeking more than $50,000 in damages and is represented by Derek J. Siegel of Kuehn, Beasley & Young of Belleville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 2020-L-0460