Healthcare company sued for wrongful death due to malfunctioning dialysis machine

GRETNA – A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against a local healthcare company that allegedly provided a man with a malfunctioning dialysis machine that led to his death from a heart attack.

Margo Nagele, individually and in her capacity for survival and wrongful death action, filed suit against DaVita Healthcare Partners Inc., Renal Life Link Inc., Metairie Dialysis Center and Staci Simoneaux in the 24th Judicial District Court on June 10.

Nagele alleges her husband, Raymond Nagele, was undergoing home dialysis using equipment provided by DaVita and that on June 11, 2013 he began a dialysis treatment and could not stop the cycler and the procedure lasted longer than intended, by almost two hours. The plaintiff asserts her husband notified the defendants’ staff that the cycler would not stop and they did not provide assistance. Nagele contends that on June 12, 2013 her husband was planing on going on a fishing trip and 15 minutes after leaving home at 4:30 a.m. he became unconscious and collapsed after which he was rushed to the hospital.

The plaintiff alleges that the home cycler provided by DaVita had malfunctioned and ran too long resulting in levels of potassium and other elements necessary for life being removed from his system that caused him to have a heart attack that resulted in his death.

The defendant is accused of failing to properly provide the deceased with proper instructions to use the machinery,

An unspecified amount in damages is sought for medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish, fear of death, funeral expenses, loss of consortium, loss of companionship and loss of income and support.

Nagele is represented by attorney Thomas B. Calvert of Metairie.

The case has been assigned to Division A Judge Raymond S. Steib Jr.

Case no. 739-306.