State senator, city business named in suit
By Alison James
alison.james@fct.wpengine.com
In a suit filed June 12 in Franklin County, Greta C. and Matt Cooper are taking civil action against Gentiva Health Services, Becky Duncan, Micki McNutt and Dr. Larry Stutts.
The complaint details a situation following Greta Cooper’s hospitalization in 2013 at Helen Keller Hospital for induced delivery. Because of “a retained placenta with post-partum hemorrhage and infection,” the document reports Cooper was ordered to be given antibiotics. Following her discharge from the hospital into the care of home health through Gentiva Health Services – with continued antibiotics to be administered by nurse-administered IV infusion – Cooper avers in the court document that her husband was directed how to administer the antibiotics himself, rather than it being done by a skilled nurse as originally ordered.
The lawsuit accuses Gentiva Health Services and the named nurses of negligence. Stutts is named in the suit for negligence in not properly instructing the antibiotics be administered by a skilled nurse.
As a result of her negligent treatment, Cooper suffered toxicity from the medicine, severe problems with her balance, blurry vision, bilateral peripheral vestibular system weakness and impairment, severe pain and mental anguish, according to the lawsuit. She also suffered impairment in her employment and lost wages, the lawsuit said, and was permanently injured.
Stutts did not comment on the suit. Gentiva Health Services did not comment on the suit.
