Maryland Lawsuits AgainstSHEPPARD AND ENOCH PRATT HOSPITAL

This website does not represent the outcome of these lawsuits against the facility formerly known as the Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital, nor does it judge the veracity of the accusations therein.  In Maryland, however, all medical malpractice lawsuits require a certificate from an actively practicing doctor vouching for the merit of the lawsuit.

According to Maryland Judiciary Case Search, the facility formerly known as the Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital, entered with that exact spelling, has been sued for medical malpractice 1 time since 2016. The exact search criteria used on Maryland Judiciary Case Search is as follows: Company: Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital, Party Type: Defendant, Case Type: Civil, Court System: Circuit Court only, County: Default All, Filing Date: 11/01/2016-11/19/2021.

History of Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital

The facility formerly known as the Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital was established over a century ago by Moses Sheppard, a wealthy Baltimore merchant. Sheppard envisioned a mental health hospital that prioritized the dignity and comfort of patients as much as their curative treatment. After a lengthy construction period, the facility opened in 1891 as the Sheppard Asylum. The 150-bed campus in Towson, Maryland was groundbreaking for its utilization of the Kirkbride Plan, an architectural style emphasizing natural light and maximum air circulation.

The asylum began expanding five years later with a donation of nearly $2 million from the estate of philanthropist Enoch Pratt. Pratt’s will requested a name change to the facility, and it subsequently became The Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital. That name would remain until the mid-1990’s when the hospital’s board of trustees voted to change it to the Sheppard Pratt Health System. Today the Sheppard Pratt Health System consists of its primary Towson campus and a second inpatient hospital located in Ellicott City. The network also includes several satellite facilities, including outpatient locations in Timonium and Frederick.

Some of the personal injury attorneys that regularly sue the facility formerly known as the Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital for medical malpractice are: The Law Office of Roger J. Bennett, P.A. and Salsbury, Clements, Bekman Marder & Adkins LLC. As the hospital is based in Baltimore County, the majority of malpractice cases against it are filed in Baltimore County Circuit Court. If you or a loved one have been injured by the facility formerly known as the Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital, you should contact a personal injury lawyer to assess your claim.

Based on publicly available records and data, the facility formerly known as the Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital has been cited as a defendant in one Maryland medical malpractice case. While the Maryland circuit court complaint is available in a PDF below, here is an excerpt of the allegations:

The available complaint, filed on behalf of the plaintiff by her spouse and adult child, lists the following allegations:

• Failing to properly assess a high-risk patient: As contended in the complaint, the plaintiff was admitted to the defendant hospital for mental health treatment. She allegedly exhibited several conditions that made her more likely to sustain an accidental fall, including impaired cognition, decreased mobility, and the need for prescription psychoactive medication. However, despite the plaintiff’s increased likelihood of a fall, the defendant hospital reportedly neglected to perform an adequate fall risk assessment and implement appropriate prevention methods.
• Failing to properly monitor a high-risk patient: The complaint maintains that a physician examined the plaintiff at the defendant hospital after staff members found her lying on the floor by her bed. Following the exam, the physician determined that she did not have any visible traumatic injuries but placed her under a 15-minute behavioral check schedule with the nursing staff. However, the plaintiff allegedly fell out of bed again later that day due to negligence on the part of nursing staff in adhering to the behavioral check schedule.
• Failing to properly evaluate and treat an injured patient: According to the complaint, nine days after she experienced the accidental falls out of bed, the plaintiff was noted to be stiff, hypertensive, and short of breath. Upon transfer to Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC), she exhibited right eye swelling and bruising. A follow-up CT scan revealed a large subdural hematoma (brain bleed) that was not viable for surgical treatment. The plaintiff died a short time later from a hemorrhage reportedly triggered by the brain bleed. Per the complaint, the brain bleed and subsequent fatal hemorrhage were directly caused by the defendant hospital’s negligence in adequately assessing, monitoring, and treating the plaintiff.

Last updated January 14, 2022