Family suspects coverup after woman found dead on hospital roof
The family of a 28-year-old woman found dead on a hospital roof has filed a lawsuit and hired a civil rights attorney to investigate a possible coverup.
Chelsea Adolphus's body was found last week at Waukegan's Vista Medical Center East in Chicago, where she was a patient. Her cause of death was ruled to be hypothermia from prolonged cold exposure.
When her body was discovered on the roof at 8:45 a.m. last Wednesday, Adolphus was reportedly only wearing a hospital gown. Attempts to revive her were unsuccessful.
She had been admitted to the hospital fewer than four hours before she was found unresponsive.
In their wrongful death lawsuit, the family of Adolphus accuses the hospital and its staff of six counts of premises liability, negligence and medical malpractice. The family claims they were told by the hospital that Adolphus’s body was found down the street outside a store, with no mention she was actually on the roof of the facility.
The CEO of Waukegan's Vista Medical Center called the claims “entirely unfounded and absolutely false” and expressed remorse for her death. He added that the hospital has filed an emergency injunction to remove the local coroner from the case, citing bias.
According to a report from the coroner’s office, low staffing and furloughs at the hospital may have contributed to Adolphus’s death. However, that claim has yet to be litigated in front of a judge.
The hospital denies recent staffing cuts were a contributing factor and rejects the notion of a coverup.
This is a developing story, and NBC Chicago has more at the link below.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.