EDWARDSVILLE — A wrongful death lawsuit was filed against Alton Memorial Hospital after a patient developed an ulcer, which allegedly contributed to his death.
Byron Mike, personal representative of the estate of William Riddlespringer, filed a lawsuit against Bethesda Health Group, the owners of Alton Memorial Hospital, on March 25 in the Madison County Circuit Court.
According to the complaint, Riddlespringer died at Alton Memorial Hospital on December 18, 2020, having lived there for roughly a year prior after being transported to the facility from OSF Saint Anthony's Health Center. The suit states that he was at Alton Memorial in response to a stroke that left him paralyzed and unable to speak that occurred while at Saint Anthony's. He was dependent on health care workers for all personal actions, such as eating and hygienic tasks.
RIddlespringer developed an ulcer while at Alton Memorial Hospital before he was moved back to Saint Anthony's, which allegedly contributed to his death.
The lawsuit claims that Alton Memorial officials did not take necessary actions to prevent the decedent's injuries, such as monitoring his skin conditions. The suit also claims that Alton Memorial did not recognize or treat Riddlespringer's ulcer, failed to deal with various infections that he had developed during his time there and failed to perform hygienic functions for him such as bathing, dressing or turning and repositioning him in bed.
The suit alleges that the defendant's alleged negligence led to a loss of quality of life for Riddlespringer and ultimately caused his death amidst great suffering. The lawsuit also claims that the owners of the medical facility were legally responsible for these incidents.
The damages being sought are intended to cover his medical expenses, plus interest.
Riddlespringer's estate is seeking damages exceeding $50,000 for the wrongful death count and both respective counts of negligence. The estate is represented by Breanna Hunt of Onder Law Firm in St. Louis.
Madison County Circuit Court case number 2022LA000396