Man Slips into Coma After 9 Hour ER Wait-Dies 2 years Later-Family Suing Hospital

In 2014 a 53 year old man went to the ER with a head wound, he was punched. He received initial ER Triage treatment and was told to sit in a secondary area to be monitored. After sitting for 9 hours he slipped into a coma and died 2 years later in the hospital.

A New York City hospital is being sued after video showed a man with a head injury sitting in an emergency room so long he slipped into a coma before he was noticed by workers there.

The family of Angel Rivera says that the 53-year-old spent two years in that coma and died in 2016 without ever waking up after going to the ER at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx in 2014. Video from the hospital shows Rivera sitting unattended for more than 9 hours before someone noticed him unconscious and bleeding from the nose.

www.nbcnewyork.com...


The hospital called his name, and he didn't (or couldn't?) respond, so they thought he had left. But he was sitting right where he was left. They did find him nearly 10 hours later, but by then the hospital had to load him on a gurney as he had slipped into a coma.

Rivera went to the hospital after getting punched in the head during a fight with a friend, according to the family.

At one point hours later, hospital workers called his name, and when he didn’t respond, the family said workers assumed he’d left.

But he was still there -- nearly 10 hours of video showed he had never left.

"They lost him in plain sight," said Mark Brodner, the family's attorney. "He was within feet of hospital personnel who for a period of 9 hours didn't remember that he was even there."

Hospital workers eventually tended to Rivera a second time, and video shows him being loaded into a gurney. But his family said he never again regained consciousness.

originally posted by: seasonal
In 2014 a 53 year old man went to the ER with a head wound, he was punched. He received initial ER Triage treatment and was told to sit in a secondary area to be monitored. After sitting for 9 hours he slipped into a coma and died 2 years later in the hospital.

A New York City hospital is being sued after video showed a man with a head injury sitting in an emergency room so long he slipped into a coma before he was noticed by workers there.

The family of Angel Rivera says that the 53-year-old spent two years in that coma and died in 2016 without ever waking up after going to the ER at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx in 2014. Video from the hospital shows Rivera sitting unattended for more than 9 hours before someone noticed him unconscious and bleeding from the nose.

www.nbcnewyork.com...


The hospital called his name, and he didn't (or couldn't?) respond, so they thought he had left. But he was sitting right where he was left. They did find him nearly 10 hours later, but by then the hospital had to load him on a gurney as he had slipped into a coma.

Rivera went to the hospital after getting punched in the head during a fight with a friend, according to the family.

At one point hours later, hospital workers called his name, and when he didn’t respond, the family said workers assumed he’d left.

But he was still there -- nearly 10 hours of video showed he had never left.

"They lost him in plain sight," said Mark Brodner, the family's attorney. "He was within feet of hospital personnel who for a period of 9 hours didn't remember that he was even there."

Hospital workers eventually tended to Rivera a second time, and video shows him being loaded into a gurney. But his family said he never again regained consciousness.

Messed up. However, having gone to an urban ER before I can see how this could happen and surprised it doesn't happen more.

a reply to: Edumakated

It is sad, and it happens all over, but people usually don't drop into a coma.

It is a "simple" over sight, unfortunately they are not making coffee. I would imagine if treated he would have been on his way the next day or 2.

Wonder if the person who did the punching is in prison?

Should someone from the hospital be imprisoned?

I recall this in the news. There were interviews of other patients at the time. If I remember correctly and its the same case then this man was ignored until the others in the waiting room realized there was an issue.

a reply to: seasonal

Head injuries should never be taken lightly. If someone walks in saying their chest hurts in severe pain they get in right away.
But unless you're missing a limb or shot or something you wait.
It's insane how head injuries like this happen and people die.
I was at a party a few years back. Someone got sucker punched in the back of the head.

They took him to the hospital because he was bleeding a bit, but according to my friends he was seeing stars on the way, when they got there they told him he had to wait. Finally they demanded xrays, only after they lied just to do it. And it turned out he had a fractured skull. If they didn't demand the xray he would have died in the waiting room.

originally posted by: seasonal
a reply to: Edumakated

It is sad, and it happens all over, but people usually don't drop into a coma.

It is a "simple" over sight, unfortunately they are not making coffee. I would imagine if treated he would have been on his way the next day or 2.

Wonder if the person who did the punching is in prison?

Should someone from the hospital be imprisoned?

The issue is that in ERs they have to triage the most serious cases first. If you come in saying you have an headache or something that doesn't appear life threatening, you may have to wait longer than someone who comes in with a something more serious life a heart attack, bleeding wounds, etc.

The problem is that ERs are used by the indigent a lot for routine medical care. I've been in urban ERs and they are filled with hoodrats / illegals and their kids with runny noses. Then you throw in the constant flow of wounded thugs and drug addicts coming through the door, especially on weekends, you may be sitting around for a long time. I can easily see how they might lose track of someone. Also, if the guy had a head injury, and slipped into a coma, he may have just appeared sleep like 50% of the people in their waiting their turn.

I can't say that it is anyone's fault. The question is really just if he was improperly diagnosed upon entry.

I go to an ER in a wealthy suburb and the nurses are playing solitaire as it is practically empty.

a reply to: Edumakated

The hospital is in deep doo doo with this.
The real problem is that he was moved to a secondary area to be monitored. So the hospital knew he was there, meaning they moved him from the ER area to the secondary monitoring area. But somehow the secondary staff didn't seem to have eyes on him. He died.
The hospital is going to get sued and are going to have to pay a huge settlement.

originally posted by: seasonal
a reply to: Edumakated

The hospital is in deep doo doo with this.
The real problem is that he was moved to a secondary area to be monitored. So the hospital knew he was there, meaning they moved him from the ER area to the secondary monitoring area. But somehow the secondary staff didn't seem to have eyes on him. He died.
The hospital is going to get sued and are going to have to pay a huge settlement.

Of course they are going to have to pay a huge settlement. I'm just saying I can see how it could have happened.

a reply to: Edumakated

In the end it will end up being a missed diagnosis and the standard procedures were not followed. Yes I can see it happening to.

Wow the hospital should be sued out of existence IMO. When you have the gall to charge 50$ for an aspirin and 80$ for a bed pan , 20$ for a pair of plastic gloves, You better do your effing job right.

As someone who worked in a hospital for a great many years, this is not surprising in the least. Every weekend, it was jokingly called "The Gun and Knife Club" because of sheer amount of crazies getting jacked up in gang activity and bar fights. Add to that the number of people that used the ER as a doctor's office every time their kids sneeze, it was a horrible madhouse. If you've got a crazy environment coupled with an overworked and understaffed workplace, things like this happen.

My own experience with the same system wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't life threatening, which I'm grateful for. Put in the hospital for a badly fractured ankle that required surgery, I was squeezed into an already full room. It was room made for 4 people and I was unlucky number five. My bed was an ER gurney. I had no lighting, no call button, no phone. I wasn't allowed out of bed because my ankle wasn't fully stabilized, so I couldn't go to the bathroom. Remember, no call button. I couldn't even ask for help. The nurses were understaffed so even pinning someone down to ask for anything was an exercise in futility. Because I was going to surgery, no food. No water. Two and half days with nothing to eat and drink. I was severely dehydrated and developed a migraine because of it. They wouldn't let me have anything for it because "nothing by mouth."

There was much, much more... It was singularly the worst experience with the healthcare system I've ever had and I hope like hell I never have to use it ever again.

What was worse? One of the nurses came to my bedside and told me that I should report my bad experiences to the provincial health care system. They couldn't report it themselves without risking loss of their jobs.

a reply to: notsure1

The hired help is paid a "competitive" wage.

What you mentioned is a for profit issue that has yet to be solved. Profits must go up every quarter. Got news for everyone, HEALTHCARE IS NOT GETTING CHEAPER.

originally posted by: seasonal
a reply to: notsure1

The hired help is paid a "competitive" wage.

What you mentioned is a for profit issue that has yet to be solved. Profits must go up every quarter. Got news for everyone, HEALTHCARE IS NOT GETTING CHEAPER.

Yeah so? They should not be underpaid and understaffed when they charge that much. The problem is the staff,Who else can you blame but the damm drs and nurses that leave you in a room for 9 hours to die at a hospital?


Well other than the guy that punched him I guess.

originally posted by: Edumakated

Messed up. However, having gone to an urban ER before I can see how this could happen and surprised it doesn't happen more.

Where were these suing family members as he sat there all alone for 10 years?

originally posted by: Xtrozero

originally posted by: Edumakated

Messed up. However, having gone to an urban ER before I can see how this could happen and surprised it doesn't happen more.

Where were these suing family members as he sat there all alone for 10 years?

What? You think his family never visited him in the hospital?

ETS Oh I see you meant hours. Maybe he drove himself to the hospital because he was ok ATM, But was slowly bleeding in his brain.

a reply to: notsure1

The cost has nothing to do with the quality of care, staffing levels, pay, benefits or outcomes. When it comes to health care money is does not have a correlation to quality of care.

And of course the Dr.'s and nurses are responsible. But it would be interesting to see the staffing levels. Low staffing can make it impossible to cover the patient load. And that makes the hospital more $, until they are sued.

Perhaps for profit health care is not the best system for dispensing health care?


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originally posted by: notsure1
Wow the hospital should be sued out of existence IMO. When you have the gall to charge 50$ for an aspirin and 80$ for a bed pan , 20$ for a pair of plastic gloves, You better do your effing job right.

Yes and all the Doctors and Nurses also should be sued so to oblivion....until we have no Hospitals, Doctors and Nurses. And you wonder why Healthcare costs are up in the clouds.

originally posted by: manuelram16

originally posted by: notsure1
Wow the hospital should be sued out of existence IMO. When you have the gall to charge 50$ for an aspirin and 80$ for a bed pan , 20$ for a pair of plastic gloves, You better do your effing job right.

Yes and all the Doctors and Nurses also should be sued so to oblivion....until we have no Hospitals, Doctors and Nurses. And you wonder why Healthcare costs are up in the clouds.

I have been wondering that my whole life? 50$ for an aspirin. And insurance companies own most of the hospitals .

So I wonder why hospitals charge so much hmmmmm... It should be illegal.

a reply to: notsure1

Anywhere else charging one price for no insurance and one price for insurance (higher) would be considered insurance fraud.
But it is health care so anything goes.

originally posted by: seasonal
a reply to: notsure1

Anywhere else charging one price for no insurance and one price for insurance (higher) would be considered insurance fraud.
But it is health care so anything goes.

No they scare you with those prices to force you to pay their outrageous premiums every month to avoid those charges.

This IMO should be illegal,