According to The Denver Channel a patient at the Mental Health Institute in Pueblo was restrained face down and as a result suffocated. The State of Colorado has agreed to pay a large settlement to the family of the patient. The Colorado Department of Health Services is being held responsible for the patient’s wrongful death. The patient was restrained face down and was unable to push himself up and suffocated. This lawsuit has lead to a ban against face-down restraints. The state has determined that there have been a number of preventable deaths due to the policy of face-down restraints. This was one of four incidents that caused death to mental health patients.
Have you lost a loved one due to the negligence of a caregiver contact a Pueblo wrongful death attorney.
Mental Illness Policy.org cites that over 2million people in the United States are mentally ill and don’t receive treatment. Approximately one third of mentally ill people go homeless every year. They also argue that nearly 16% of individuals who are incarcerated in the jail systems are mentally ill and unstable. This is mainly due to the severity of their illness as well as them being low functioning individuals. Mentally ill individuals are more likely to commit suicide, over 5,000 people a year. They are also more likely to perpetrate homicide.
Every state has their own guidelines about how to approach sentencing and treatment of a mentally ill individual. In Colorado law a person can be committed to a mental hospital based on if they are likely to hurt themselves or others. The courts require different allotted time to ‘hold’ patients to a mental hospital based on their evaluation by a psychologist. The state takes responsibility for an individual who is deemed mentally ill and incapable of caring for themselves. So for the safety of that person and the people around them they can be forced into treatment.
If you have lost a loved one because of the negligence of a care giver, no one can return that person to you but, no family should have to endure the financial crisis that medical bills can create. Contacting a Pueblo wrongful death attorney can help to ensure that those responsible for your loss are held accountable for their actions. There is no way to comfort the loss of a family member, but by holding a negligent care giver responsible for the death of your family member, you may be saving other families from losing their loved ones. 
Smith & Smith is a dedicated and compassionate attorney that can help you and your family recover from the financial burden of your loss. Contact an attorney today for a free consultation and to help you recover from the loss of a loved one. Call The Pueblo attorneys at Smith & Smith at (719) 544-0062 for a free case evaluation today.
