A recent court filing reveals a harrowing case of alleged medical negligence that has led to severe consequences for the patient involved. On June 5, 2024, JoAlice Drones filed a complaint in the Harris County District Court against Ronald W. Killam, M.D., HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast, and CHCA Bayshore, L.P.
The lawsuit stems from injuries sustained by Rose Drones during her stay at HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast beginning in September 2022. According to the complaint, Ms. Drones was admitted on September 1, 2022, with altered mental status and was noted to have a pre-stage 1 pressure injury upon admission. Despite being at high risk for further skin breakdown and requiring maximum assistance for all activities of daily living (ADLs), her condition allegedly worsened due to inadequate care.
Dr. Ronald W. Killam first saw Ms. Drones on September 6, 2022. During her stay, she underwent procedures including a bronchoscopy and peg tube placement for nutritional support but remained bedridden and required frequent turning to prevent pressure injuries. By September 12, her sacral wound had progressed to Stage 3 with significant sloughing throughout the wound bed.
The situation deteriorated further when an October 9 wound care consultation revealed a Stage 4 sacral wound measuring 7.5 x 0.5 cm with extensive sloughing. A subsequent bone scan confirmed osteomyelitis in the sacral area on October 11, leading to antibiotic treatment. Despite these interventions, Ms. Drones’s condition continued to decline until she was discharged on November 2 with an even larger Stage 4 wound.
The plaintiff accuses Dr. Killam and the staff at HCA Southeast of multiple failures in their duty of care: not implementing timely care plans or nutritional support plans for Ms. Drones; failing to order appropriate medications; causing delays in diagnosing and treating her worsening sacral wound; neglecting consistent assessment and staging of the wound; failing to turn and reposition Ms. Drones regularly; and not implementing necessary nursing interventions.
JoAlice Drones argues that these breaches constitute both negligence and gross negligence under Texas law and were proximate causes of Rose Drones’s injuries and damages. The suit seeks monetary relief exceeding $1 million for various damages including past and future physical pain, mental anguish, physical impairment, medical expenses, disfigurement, lost wages, and lost earning capacity.
Represented by attorneys Michael E. Pierce and Andrew Holcomb from Pierce Skrabanek PLLC, JoAlice Drones is requesting actual damages as well as exemplary or punitive damages to punish the defendants' willful conduct and deter similar actions in the future.
Judge Marilyn Burgess presides over this case under Case ID: 2024-35395 in Harris County's District Court.