Hospital to pay $1.3M in Hasty Discharge Case

Jefferson County, TX: The family of a woman who died shortly after being discharged from emergency at Christus St. Mary Hospital in Port Arthur, has been awarded a $1,315,276 settlement.

The incident occurred in 2007, when then 47-year old Stacy Meaux went to emergency after complaining of pain and tightness in the chest. At the hospital she was diagnosed with high blood pressure, given medicine and discharged. However, less than 10 hours later she died from cardiac arrest.

Meaux's family subsequently sued the hospital alleging that the nurses did not inform the ER doctor of her chest pains. The hospital argued that it followed the doctor's discharge instructions, and that Meaux had not mentioned her chest pains.

The nurses were found 80 percent liable by the jury and the doctor, who settled before trial, 20 percent liable. The hospital is jointly and severally liable for the entire award, which is subject to caps on damages.