BECKLEY – The administrators of a woman’s estate blames Raleigh General Hospital for injuries they say led to her eventual death.
Steve W. Smith and Clarissa D. Smith, as co-administrators of the estate of Freda R. Smith, filed their complaint in Raleigh Circuit Court against Raleigh General Hospital.
According to the complaint, Freda Smith was admitted to the hospital in February 2018. She was referred for a VQ scan and fell as she tried to get up onto the scanner. They say she suffered injuries to her right hand and knee as well as other parts of her body from the blunt force trauma of falling onto the floor. They say those injuries ultimately contributed to her death on Dec. 2, 2018.
They say a hospital employee breached his duty by not helping Smith despite her concerns of not being able to do so herself and despite the fact she was morbid obesity and non-ambulatory.
The plaintiffs accuse the hospital and its employees of negligence for Freda Smith’s injuries and wrongful death. They say her family, including them, are entitled to damages for sorrow, mental anguish, loss of solace and reasonably expected loss of income of Freda Smith. They also seek damages for medical, funeral and burial expenses as well as pre- and post-judgment interest, attorney fees, court costs and other relief.
They are being represented by Jeffry A. Pritt of Pritt Law Firm in Union. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Robert Burnside.
Raleigh Circuit Court case number 20-C-62