Seattle Children's Hospital will face another lawsuit over the series of patient infections and deaths linked to Aspergillus mold in its operating rooms, according to KIRO 7.
Two lawyers with Seattle-based Stritmatter, Kessler, Koehler and Moore Law Office plan to file a class-action lawsuit Dec. 2 on behalf of four former patients at Seattle Children's. The lawsuit alleges the patients were exposed to the mold due to the hospital's negligence in managing its facilities. If the class certification is granted, lawyers intend to eventually include all Seattle Children's patients sickened by the mold since 2000.
At least 14 patients have gotten sick from the mold, and six have died in that time period, Jeff Sperring, MD, CEO of Seattle Children's Hospital, announced Nov. 18. It is now suspected that an air-handling system serving the operating rooms is to blame for some of the earlier infections, according to Dr. Sperring.
The lawyers will hold a news conference regarding the lawsuit Dec. 2.
Editor's note: Becker's reached out to Seattle Children's for comment and will update this story as more information becomes available.
More articles on legal and regulatory issues:
Boston Heart to pay $26M to resolve kickback allegations
UPMC Susquehanna says employee wrongly viewed patient record
California surgeon gets prison time for role in $580M billing fraud scheme