Patient mix-up, coverup results in lawsuit for wrongful death

A medical center in Washington faces a civil lawsuit for allegedly taking the wrong man off life support, resulting in his death.

According to a Dec. 3 court filing, PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center is accused of mixing up two men who were roommates outside the hospital, David Wells and Michael Beehler. Wells had arrived at the hospital in August 2021 after a choking incident, with Beehler being the one who called 911

Somewhere along the line, the two men were mixed up by hospital staff or the ambulance company, leaving Wells to be identified officially as his roommate.

When Wells slipped into brain death, it was Beehler’s family who made the decision to end his life support.

Days later, Beehler called his sister, who was already making funeral arrangements.

Now, the family of Wells is suing PeaceHealth, with the son of David Wells listed as the primary plaintiff. According to the family’s claim, they were never notified that Wells had passed away. Further, it wasn’t until an investigation by the county medical examiner that the mix-up was even discovered.

According to the lawsuit, the Wells family was only told about their father’s death after the medical examiner confirmed his identity using fingerprints. When contacted, the hospital failed to mention the mistaken identity.

The Wells family said they did not find out about the mix-up until two years later when contacted by reporters from KGW8, the local NBC News affiliate.

Beehler and his sister have filed a separate lawsuit against the medical examiner’s office, the funeral home, and an ambulance company.

Read the full feature from KGW8 below.