Hospital was supposed to hold man, but he left then was found dead, IL suit says

Miami Herald

4 days ago

The family of an Illinois man who was found dead is suing a hospital after they say he was never supposed to leave its care.
The lawsuit was filed May 27 in Peoria County against Carle Health Methodist Hospital.
'We are committed to the highest quality of care for all patients and take the trust put in our services seriously. We are unable to comment on pending litigation,' a Carle Health Methodist Hospital spokesperson told McClatchy News in an email May 29.
On May 29, 2023, 32-year-old Logan Dunne was involuntarily admitted to the psychiatric unit at Carle Health Methodist Hospital, a civil complaint said.
Then, two days later, on May 31, Dunne was moved to an unsecured floor to be treated for his 'uncontrolled diabetes,' the lawsuit said. After being treated, he was supposed to be taken back to the secured psychiatric floor, the complaint said.
However, on June 2, Dunne put on his street clothes and walked out of the hospital, without being stopped by any staff, according to the lawsuit.
After leaving the hospital, it took three days before Dunne's family was notified he was missing, according to Dateline NBC.
'A family friend called us — whose son is a police officer in Peoria and saw Logan's name on a report and called his dad and told him that, 'Hey, he escaped,' — and then that friend called us,' his father, Brian Dunne, told the outlet. 'So we went down to the Peoria Police Department and filed a missing persons report.'
Hundreds of people, including authorities and rescue teams, searched the area for Logan Dunne, NBC Dateline and WMBD reported.
Missing persons flyers, T-shirts and resource pages to help find Logan Dunne were created and shared in a 'Find Logan Dunne' Facebook page.
Then, on Nov. 12, 2023, five months after he was reported missing, Logan Dunne's remains were found in a wooded area east of Kickapoo Creek, WMBD reported.
His body was found when a hunter tracking a deer came across it, police said in a Facebook post. Foul play was not suspected.
Logan Dunne was a cardiac sonographer at a hospital in Peoria, his obituary said. He had 'a very big heart and his unique sense of humor.'
Logan Dunne's family said in the lawsuit that the hospital is responsible for his death since employees improperly transferred him to the unsecured floor, failed to stop him from leaving the hospital, allowed him to have access to his street clothes, didn't notify authorities and his family in a timely manner, and other allegations.
His father said in the lawsuit that as a result of Logan Dunne's death, he suffers 'a loss of love, society, affection and companionship.'
The lawsuit is asking for $50,000 for four of the nine counts in the complaint.
Peoria County is about an 85-mile drive north of Springfield.