NEW ORLEANS – A St. Bernard Parish family claims that their relative died due to negligence of medical staff.
Daniel David Garcia and Michelle Garcia Assavedo, individually and on behalf of the estate of/and as the sole legal heirs of Lana April Garcia, filed a suit against Ochsner-Baptist Medical Center LLC, Ochsner Clinic Foundation LLC, Elizabeth Wasson M.D., Anabelan Riviera Derosales M.D. and Charles Smith III M.D. in the Orleans Parish Civil District Court on Sept. 26.
According to the claim, the Lana April Garcia was admitted to Ochsner-Baptist Medical Center on May 12, 2012, for respiratory distress and shortness of breath. The suit states that the woman was on a ventilator for a period of time and on May 21, 2012, her health worsened quickly. She was declared dead the evening.
The defendants are accused of failing to protect patient safety, failure to consult with an expert regarding chronic pain syndrome and narcotic dependency and failure to appropriately manage a patient with pulmonary disease.
The plaintiffs are seeking an unspecified amount in damages. They are represented by Harry T. Widmann of Metairie.
The case has been assigned to Division M Judge Paulette R. Irons.
The Orleans Parish Civil District Court Case number 2016-9633