Home / Disasters and Accidents / Hospital Overdosed Patient to Death
Hospital Overdosed Patient to Death
16 Oct
Summary
- A young woman died from an overdose of pain medication.
- She was admitted for a broken ankle and given IV opioids.
- Her family claims she was not monitored adequately.
A lawsuit filed by the father of Dale Martin claims his 21-year-old daughter died due to medical negligence at Waterbury Hospital. Martin was admitted on April 9, 2025, with a complex ankle fracture sustained while on a gap year in Connecticut.
Court documents state Martin reported severe pain, and initial morphine doses were ineffective. The complaint alleges hospital staff administered high doses of opioid pain medications through an IV throughout the night. This allegedly impeded her natural impulse to breathe, leading to suffocation.
According to the lawsuit, hospital personnel failed to monitor Martin adequately as she was sedated and suffocating. The following morning, she was found unresponsive, having stopped breathing and her heart had ceased functioning.
Despite resuscitation efforts, Martin suffered severe brain damage due to a lack of oxygen. She was declared brain-dead four days after her admission to the hospital. The lawsuit names Waterbury Hospital and a doctor as defendants, citing issues like improper supervision and inadequate staffing.
At the time of Martin's death, Prospect Medical Holdings owned the hospital. UConn Health acquired the facility in March 2026 through a taxpayer-funded deal. UConn Health stated patient safety is a priority and referred further questions to Prospect Medical Holdings, which did not comment.
