When doctors at the Mercy Hospital in Chicago called them and told them that their brother had no hope of healing, Alfonso Bennett's sisters agreed to stop the care. But the man who was dying at the hospital was actually someone else, named Elisha Brittman. This week, the Bennett and Brittman families filed a lawsuit against the Chicago police and the Mercy Hospital, accusing them of negligence.
A man found under a car
The strange and sad case goes back to the end of April, when a naked and seriously injured man, found under a car in Chicago, was admitted to the Mercy Hospital. The police then told Alfonso Bennett's sisters that it was their brother. Although they had doubts about his identity, they finally agreed to unplug him and move him to a palliative care unit, where he died three days later.
But as they prepared for their funeral, what was their surprise when Alfonso Bennett appeared on a barbecue at a friend's house. She said, 'He's here, he's alive!', "Yolanda Harvey, one of Alfonso's sisters, told a press conference of the Bennett and Brittman families during which they announced make a complaint.
"This situation could have been easily avoided"
The man who died was identified by his fingerprints. It was Elisha Brittman, 69 years old. "In summary, this situation ... could have been easily avoided and should have been avoided," said Cannon Lambert, the family's lawyer.
In a statement to the Chicago Tribune newspaper, police said they opened an investigation. "To say that we have questions is a euphemism," says the text. "Inspectors are reviewing all aspects of this case - from the response to what happened to the events leading to the hospitalization and notification of family members".