Personal Injury Law

Death of Mashpee man who was inappropriately restrained at Cape Cod Hospital is under investigation

By Altman & Altman

An inquest will take place in the death of Daniel Ryan. The Mashpee man died three weeks after he was restrained at Cape Cod Hospital on October 9, 2009. The 35-year-old was there to visit his wife, who was a patient.

The hospital claims that they had to restrain him because he was a danger to patients, staffers, and himself. He fell into a coma before passing away. The state?s medical examiner's office representative is calling Ryan?s death a homicide, and the Department of Public Health cited Cape Cod Hospital for violating his rights and using inappropriate restraint methods, which led to his death.

Ryan reportedly was walking through the hospital without authorization and was stopped by a security worker. The hospital says that Ryan turned violent and tried to break away and run off. Their account is different from the video surveillance footage that shows him tripping on a sheet that was placed over his head and falling forward. A security officer escorting Ryan also fell before placing him in a headlock, flipping him over, and sitting on him in what looked like an attempt to restrain him.

According to the state?s report, at least two other hospital workers helped keep Ryan immobile. The state also says that it wasn?t until he needed emergency attention that the workers loosened his restraints or checked his condition. The state determined that security staff at the hospital hadn't been trained in appropriate and proper restraints.

Massachusetts Wrongful Death
If you believe that your loved one died because a party behaved negligently, recklessly, or carelessly, you may be entitled to obtain Massachusetts wrongful death compensation.It doesn?t matter whether the negligence was accidental or intentional.

ME Rules Death a Homicide, Cape Cod Times, April 27, 2010

Inquest set in fatal conflict at Cape Cod Hospital, Boston.com, April 27, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Cape Cod Hospital

Wrongful Death Action, Law.Cornell.Edu

Full post as published by Boston Injury Lawyer Blog on April 29, 2010 (boomark / email).