Koehler v. Abbott Northwestern Hospital – Suicidal Woman Left Unattended in Locked Psychiatric Ward

In this medical malpractice case, Snyder and Sheehy represented an Anoka woman who was diagnosed with a severe psychiatric disorder that resulted in uncontrollable depression and suicidal feelings in its acute stages. After being admitted to a locked psychiatric unit of a Minneapolis hospital, she was left alone in her room by hospital staff despite her stated intention to commit suicide. Her resulting suicide attempt caused severe and permanent brain damage. She was awarded what was, at the time, the largest medical malpractice verdict in Minnesota history.
Verdict: $15.9 million