A Jefferson County woman is suing a hospital and one of its physicians, alleging negligence in treating her after she spontaneously delivered a premature fetus in the hospital bathroom.
Latisha Hinton filed a lawsuit Sept. 17 in Jefferson County District Court against Dr. Steven W. King and Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas in Beaumont, alleging medical negligence.
On July 7, 2013, the complaint states, Hinton, who was 14 weeks pregnant and experiencing vaginal bleeding, went to the emergency room of Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas, where she was seen by King. The suit says when Hinton was in the emergency department awaiting test results, she felt the urge to go to the restroom, and, while in the restroom, she delivered a very premature fetus, which she showed to King and other emergency department personnel, who put the fetus into a container.
Hinton was then discharged from the emergency department without any physician performing an adequate vaginal exam, but King instructed her to see an obstetrician, the lawsuit says. Before her obstetrician appointment, the suit says, Hinton experienced additional bleeding and went to the emergency department of The Medical Center of Southeast Texas on July 18, 2013, where an ultrasound showed evidence of a hematoma and/or products of conception, and further testing revealed she was suffering from an incomplete abortion with retained products of conception.
Physicians at The Medical Center of Southeast Texas performed an hysterectomy on Hinton. The suit alleges King and the Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas were negligent in failing to perform an adequate vaginal exam on Hinton and in failing to perform adequate testing and monitoring after her spontaneous abortion/deliver of the fetus in the hospital's restroom, before releasing her.
Hinton seeks damages, interests and court costs. She is represented by attorney Craig Lewis of The Lewis Law Firm in Houston.
Jefferson County District Court case number E-197574.