Rios v. Hosp. HIMA San Pablo Fajardo – Sept. 2015 (Summary)

EMTALA

Rios v. Hosp. HIMA San Pablo Fajardo, Civil No. 3:14–CV–01760 (JAF) (D.P.R. Sept. 4, 2015)

In a lawsuit involving a patient who died several days after being discharged from a hospital emergency department, the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico held that the family of the deceased patient could not maintain an EMTALA claim based on their alleged emotional suffering over the loss of their loved one. The court held that EMTALA violations can only be brought on behalf of the deceased; the relatives themselves had no direct claim pursuant to EMTALA.