Lawsuit claims California hospital mistakenly told woman’s family she had discharged when she was already deceased

The family of a 31-year-old woman, Jessie Marie Peterson, filed a civil lawsuit against Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Northern California after hospital officials allegedly told them she had checked out when she had actually died and her body was kept in cold storage for a year. Peterson, who had Type 1 diabetes, was admitted to the hospital on April 6 last year and the family was told she had been discharged days later. Despite searching for her and filing a missing person’s report, it was not until April 12, 2024, that the family was informed by the Sacramento County Detective’s Office that she had been found dead at the hospital. Her body was so decomposed that an autopsy could not determine the cause of death or whether medical malpractice played a role. The family only received confirmation of her death on April 4 this year and found out her body had been kept in an off-site cold storage unit the whole time. The family is seeking $25 million for the hospital’s negligence. The hospital, under the umbrella of Dignity Health, has not yet commented on the lawsuit. The family’s attorney criticized the hospital for failing to notify them of Peterson’s death and for storing her body in a warehouse without dignity or respect.

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