$6.5 million verdict against Danbury Hospital

By Daniel Tepfer

Updated 5:46 pm, Thursday, April 4, 2013

DANBURY — A jury Thursday found Danbury Hospital negligent in the 2006 death of a Newtown furniture mover and ordered the hospital to pay his family $6.5 million.

The six-member, Superior Court jury deliberated over four days before handing down the verdict in favor of the family of Jeffrey Pattison.

“Mr. Pattison died as a result of carelessness and negligence,” said Joshua Koskoff, who tried the case with Sean McElligott. “We all hope this case will cause Danbury Hospital to amend its procedures to guard against a preventable death from ever happening again.”

Hospital spokesperson Andrea Rynn said, “The health care providers involved in this case demonstrate their commitment to providing high-quality patient care each and every day. Many factors can contribute to a sad and unintended outcome, and all are carefully examined. While we do not agree with this judgment, we understand and respect the judicial process involved.”

Pattison, 44, the father of three children, had been suffering from an excessively low sodium level, Koskoff said. On March 1, 2006, his wife found Pattison unconscious in their bedroom and rushed him to the hospital.

Koskoff said Pattison was admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit where he was administered sodium. However, he said, the doctors there left Pattison unattended for more than 12 hours. During that time Pattison overdosed on sodium causing him to suffer profound brain damage and lapse into a permanent vegetative state.

Eventually doctors removed him from life support, Koskoff said.

“Mr. Pattison had come into the hospital with a very treatable condition,” he added.