Photo: Darrin Klimek / DigitalVision / Getty Images
The family of Jessie Peterson, a 31-year-old woman from California, has filed a lawsuit against Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Sacramento, alleging negligence and mishandling of a corpse. Peterson, who had type 1 diabetes, was admitted to the hospital on April 6, 2023, due to a diabetic episode. She died two days later from a cardiac arrest while suffering from diabetic ketoacidosis, according to her death certificate. However, the hospital allegedly told Peterson's family that she had left against medical advice.
The family spent a year searching for Peterson before they were informed by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office in April 2024 that she had been found dead at the hospital. According to the lawsuit, the hospital had moved Peterson's body to an off-site storage facility without notifying her family. The family's attorney, Marc Greenberg, stated that the hospital was required by California law to issue a death certificate within 15 hours and to contact the next of kin, neither of which they did.
The lawsuit describes the hospital's conduct as "malicious and outrageous" and accuses the facility of negligence, the negligent handling of a corpse, and negligent infliction of emotional distress. The family is seeking more than $5 million in damages, as well as a jury trial.
In response to the allegations, Dignity Health, which operates Mercy San Juan, said in a statement: "We extend our deepest sympathies to the family during this difficult time. We are unable to comment on pending litigation."