Local

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Man files suit over hospital suicide

Suffered injuries when jumper landed on him

By: Ian Hitchen

Posted: 12/19/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

BRANDON -- He was struck and injured by a falling man who had jumped to his death in the Brandon hospital atrium.

Now, the man is suing the local health authority.

Rodney James McKnight filed a statement of claim Monday against the Prairie Mountain Regional Health Authority, which runs the Brandon Regional Health Centre.

The incident happened on July 8, 2011, when a man leaped from the fourth-floor balcony overlooking the atrium. He fell onto McKnight, a hospital patient who was seated in a wheelchair on the ground floor of the atrium.

McKnight argues in his lawsuit the health authority should have known there was a danger, because a woman had fallen to her death in the atrium less than a year before.

McKnight is seeking unspecified damages from the health authority. At the time of the incident, the hospital was run by the Brandon RHA, which later merged with the Parkland RHA and Assiniboine RHA to form the Prairie Mountain RHA.

The 31-year-old man who jumped had been a psychiatric patient at some point, but wasn't a hospital patient at the time of the incident. He died of his injuries four days later.

According to McKnight's statement of claim, he suffered physical and mental injuries, and damage and loss to his personal property. Specifically, he claims to have suffered a fractured leg, pressure sores and significant pain in his shoulders, back and right arm. He says he also suffered mental trauma.

"As a result of these injuries, the plaintiff required medical treatment and medication and suffered significant pain, inconvenience and anxiety, all of which affected the plaintiff's ability to enjoy his normal lifestyle," the lawsuit states.

McKnight claims it also left him unable to perform his regular work duties. In addition, he had to pay costs associated with his medication, for medical trips to specialists and for wheelchair repair, the lawsuit states.

McKnight argues the RHA should have ensured proper structural protective measures were in place to prevent people from jumping or falling from any of the balconies that overlook the atrium. The health authority also should have properly monitored the balconies, warned the public of the possibility of people or objects falling from the balconies into the atrium and prevented the public from accessing the balconies.

Penny Gilson, CEO of the Prairie Mountain RHA, couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday.

Since the incident, glass barriers have been installed above the railings on the third-, fourth-, and fifth-floor balconies that overlook the atrium.

ihitchen@brandonsun.com

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 19, 2012 A7

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Local

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.