A man who jumped from a sixth story window in the Richards Tower of the Maine Medical Center last month was not attempting suicide but, rather, suffering from impaired judgment due to a brain injury, according to his family. The man, identified as Paul Cady of Hollis, was recovering from a motorcycle accident that took place on March 9. He opened a window in the center on March 29 and stepped out, dying shortly thereafter from his injuries. His daughter Miranda believes that he was confused and was trying to leave the hospital and go home. He leaves behind three children.
Cady was staying in the neurology intermediate care unit on the sixth floor of the center where, according to information given to the Portland Press Herald by hospital spokesman Clay Holtzman, patients recover from trauma or neurological procedures.
He suffered head trauma as a result of the motorcycle accident and was initially comatose; however, he was making progress recently, according to his family, and was walking and talking. Miranda Clay told CBS 13 that the family is still confused about how the accident could have happened but want everyone to know at this point that it was not a suicide attempt.
Fatal fall under investigation
Cady’s family had no idea that windows in the unit opened and say that they are left with several questions following the accident. Miranda Cady said that hospital staff monitored their father, but that he was apparently left alone long enough to slip out the window and fall to his death.
Depending on when the hospital was built, various regulations govern the construction of windows installed in the facility. The incident is being investigated by Maine’s Division of Licensing and Regulatory Services, according to a spokesperson from that regulatory body and as confirmed by Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services.
Maine Medical Center issued a statement concerning the investigation, saying that “our thoughts go out first and foremost to the individual’s family during this very difficult time, as well as our shocked and deeply saddened staff.” They did not answer questions about the incident.
Family searches for answers, legal advice
Paul Cady’s family says that they are looking for answers about how this accident could have happened and have met with a lawyer. If facilities were not up to standards or if staff violated protocol regarding patient safety, Cady’s family may have a strong legal case against the hospital and its staff.
Families of hospital patients, particularly those compromised by neurological problems, should be able to rely on hospital staff to keep their loved ones safe. If insufficient supervision or other lapses in care resulted in accidents like the one that Cady suffered, those families may be owed compensation and can pursue a wrongful death claim.
If you believe that a family member has suffered an accident, injury, or abuse as a result of inadequate supervision or substandard facilities, please contact the Maine accident attorneys of Hardy, Wolf, & Downing to better understand your legal rights.
You can set up a no-cost, no-obligation case review at your convenience by calling 1-800-INJURED.