Seattle Children’s Hospital Discrimination & Personal Injury

WHAT’S THE ISSUE?

Between November 2020 and February 2021, the family of Sahana Ramesh repeatedly raised concerns to physicians, staff and nurses at Seattle Children’s Hospital (SCH) regarding the persistence of Sahana’s symptoms, which included severe illness and rash which progressed to liver complications and high heart rate. During her care at SCH, Sahana showed clear symptoms of Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and System Symptoms (DRESS) following drugs prescribed by SCH, yet SCH disregarded her family’s repeated concerns. On Feb. 12, 2021, 16-year-old Sahana collapsed and died at home following continued DRESS complications, which induced fatal myocarditis. Attorneys have since uncovered alleged evidence of widespread racism they believe to be the root cause of SCH’s negligence and lack of informed consent.

ALLEGED DISCRIMINATION AT SEATTLE CHILDREN’S

Hagens Berman’s Seattle personal injury attorneys represent the parents of Sahana Ramesh, a 16-year-old girl who tragically died due to myocarditis while under the care of Seattle Children’s Hospital. Her parents, our clients, are of South Asian descent and their native language is Tamil. The lawsuit states, “Despite the number of visits and severity of Sahana’s symptoms, doctors at SCH never admitted her to the hospital or performed any of the simple cardiac testing that would have revealed Sahana’s DRESS [Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms] was affecting her heart. Nor did they provide her parents with the information they needed to make informed decisions about their daughter’s care.”

Seattle Children’s Hospital fought the firm’s request for hospital admissions data related to race, and even sought a protective order that would have prevented it from ever having to prepare or produce a witness on the subject of policies concerning language or cultural barriers between physicians and patients.

WHEN DISCRIMINATION COSTS A LIFE & INJURES VICTIMS

Our lawsuit intends to prove that the loss of Sahana Ramesh was a direct result of the hospital’s negligence due in part to discrimination. When our attorneys dug deeper during discovery, they found that one of the physicians who treated Sahana in the hospital’s emergency department had authored two papers revealing racism in medical treatment at SCH. The study revealed that in Seattle Childrens’ ER, patients of color have longer wait times, lower triage acuity scores, lower use of lab orders and more discrepancies putting them at a lower level of care. Another study authored by that doctor called out specifically that patients “who preferred to speak in a language other than English” receive deficient care.

This discrimination caused injuries from the loss of Sahan’s life but also injured the dignity of Sahana, her parents and family members who knew they were not treated the same as white families are treated.

DISCRIMINATION EXPERIENCE

We believe that POC patients have the right to effective healthcare and treatment and that lawsuits have the power to put pressure on the issue to bring about change.

Hagens Berman's attorneys are experienced in helping victims of discrimination, negligence, abuse and harassment pursue their legal rights. We take on large entities and corporations on behalf of those most vulnerable to wrongdoing. Your claim will be handled by experts in this area of law who will care for your rights.

PROTECTING YOUR ANONYMITY

The protection of victims of discrimination and harassment is our top priority. We welcome any information, and those who contact our firm may remain anonymous in their potential case. Attorneys will request that the court permit our clients to proceed anonymously as a Jane Doe or John Doe. Our attorneys have experience in protecting plaintiffs who wish to remain anonymous, both as whistleblowers and as survivors of discrimination or misconduct.

TOP PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS

Our attorneys have 50 years of combined experience fighting for those who have been gravely injured in Washington state. We know the local court system and how to maximize claims. Our experience means the process of filing your case will be as simple as possible and handled by experts in this area of law. But experience doesn't mean expensive. You don’t pay unless we win your case.