LITTLE ROCK Ark.; (KTHV)-- A woman kills herself at the state hospital while staff was supposed to be watching her 24/7. The state claims commission awarded her family hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Amanda Herling's family sued the state hospital for $3 million for medical negligence and damages. Herling hung herself in 2007, while supposed to be under suicide watch.
According to her doctor, Herling had expressed she felt better and wanted to go home.
She asked her nurse to get her popcorn. The nurse obliged, but didn't get anyone to watch her while she went to get the snack. That's when Herling hung herself. Part of the claim against the hospital involved the discovery of Herlings suicide.
Staff found her only after the bathroom flooded. She had apparently turned on the water before hanging herself in there.