Couple Claims Injuries From Hospital Doors

Most people visit the hospital emergency room to seek treatment for personal injuries. However, a couple alleges that instead, they sustained personal injuries from the emergency room at a hospital in Wood County, West Virginia.

Georgia and Larry Atkinson filed a personal injury suit in Wood County Circuit Court on August 19 against Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital claiming that on January 12, 2007, each sustained personal injuries in some manner from the automatic doors leading to the hospital’s ER.

According to the suit, while Georgia Atkinson was going through the defective doors, the doors knocked her to the ground. The suit says that she was not admitted to the hospital after the accident, but was “promptly treated for hours” before being released.

Court records show that three days later, Atkinson returned to the hospital to be evaluated and discovered that she had sustained “head, neck, back, and leg problems.” She alleges that her injuries required “extensive medical treatment.”

Larry Atkinson is also claiming damages, alleging that because of his wife’s injuries, he suffered a loss of consortium.

The suit claims that the hospital later replaced the doors after “evidently realizing the risk.”

The Atkinsons are claiming negligence on the part of Camden-Clark for the hospital’s failure to properly maintain, inspect, and repair the doors in addition to its failure to provide adequate warning signs.

The suit claims that the Atkinsons have suffered past, present, and future physical and mental anguish, lost enjoyment of life, medical and drug expenses, pain and suffering, humiliation, inconvenience, and “other general damages.” They seek exemplary and punitive damages.