Family Sues Hospital After Year-Long Misunderstanding Over Daughter's Death

In a tragic and shocking case that has drawn widespread attention, the family of 31-year-old Jessie Peterson is suing Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Sacramento, California, after the hospital reportedly failed to notify them of her death. For nearly a year, the family believed she had simply checked out of the hospital against medical advice, only to discover later that she had passed away while under the hospital's care. Peterson was admitted to the hospital on April 6, 2023, due to complications related to her type 1 diabetes. According to her mother, Ginger Congi, Peterson had called her two days later expressing the need for a ride, indicating she would be leaving the hospital. However, the hospital subsequently informed the family that she had discharged herself on April 8, and after that, she vanished without a trace. The family's relentless search ensued. They posted flyers, spoke with unhoused individuals in the area, and contacted law enforcement and local coroner’s offices in hopes of finding any information. Despite their efforts, they received no answers until April 12, 2024, when the Sacramento County detective's office revealed the devastating truth: Peterson had died in the hospital nearly a year earlier. The situation worsened when they learned that Peterson's body had been sent to an off-site storage facility, where it was left to decompose. The family's attempts to locate her remains were met with obstacles, as they were directed back and forth between the coroner's office and the hospital, ultimately leading to the mortuary's revelation that her body had been found at Mercy San Juan. In their civil lawsuit, filed earlier this month, Peterson's family has described the hospital's actions as "malicious and outrageous," citing negligence in the handling of her remains and severe emotional distress caused by the hospital's failure to communicate. The lawsuit alleges that Mercy San Juan’s conduct was not only negligent but also a violation of the dignity and respect that should be afforded to patients and their families. Peterson's family is seeking more than $5 million in damages, alongside punitive damages intended to hold the hospital accountable for what they describe as "egregious and malicious" behavior. They argue that the hospital's failure to provide timely notification of her death, as well as the mishandling of her remains, robbed them of the opportunity to grieve properly and to conduct a funeral service. In response to the allegations, Dignity Health, which operates Mercy San Juan, issued a statement expressing condolences to the Peterson family but refrained from commenting on the details of the ongoing litigation. As this case unfolds, it raises profound questions about the responsibilities of medical institutions to their patients and the grave consequences that can arise from lapses in communication. The Peterson family’s harrowing experience serves as a painful reminder of the importance of transparency and accountability within the healthcare system, especially in matters as sensitive as life and death.