THE ACREAGE, Fla. — One year after a violent assault at Palms West Hospital left veteran nurse Leela Lal critically injured, her family is taking legal action against the facility. They allege that the attack on the 67-year-old nurse was entirely preventable, citing the hospital’s failure to address known security risks.
On that fateful day, Lal was attending to patients on the hospital’s third floor when she was attacked by Stephen Scantlebury, a patient reportedly exhibiting erratic behavior. Emergency calls made during the incident revealed the chaos unfolding within the walls of the hospital. One caller described the situation as “absolute chaos,” while another indicated that Lal was on the floor and unresponsive.
Following the brutal encounter, Scantlebury fled the scene, descending three flights of stairs and ultimately being apprehended on Southern Boulevard. In the aftermath, Lal was airlifted to a trauma unit at St. Mary’s Medical Center, where she underwent extensive surgery for catastrophic injuries, including facial reconstruction and treatment for a severe brain injury that left her nearly blinded.
After enduring weeks of hospitalization and months of rehabilitation, Lal returned home. However, her daughter, Dr. Cindy Joseph, expressed deep concern about her mother’s ongoing recovery. “It’s been a year, and she’s not where she wanted to be,” Joseph said. “Honestly, she probably will never get back to where she was before this happened.” Currently, Lal contends with significant balance issues and double vision, relying heavily on her family for transportation and assistance with daily activities.
On the first anniversary of the assault, attorney Karen Terry filed a negligence lawsuit on behalf of Lal’s family against HCA/Palms West Hospital and Allied Security. Terry pointed to a pattern of security failures at the hospital, suggesting that management had previously overlooked safety concerns in favor of profit. “They had every opportunity to put the safety of their patients and staff ahead of corporate profits, but they chose not to,” Terry said, referencing a separate incident in which a woman infiltrated the neonatal intensive care unit and attacked nurses.
The lawsuit contends that the hospital was aware of past violent encounters but neglected to enhance security measures on the third floor. It also alleges mismanagement regarding a Baker Act patient, suggesting that he should have been transferred to a specialized facility rather than remaining in the hospital.
Joseph articulated her frustration regarding the attack, emphasizing that it should never have occurred. “I’m angry this happened. It was very preventable,” she remarked. The lawsuit claims that systemic security failures, which went ignored despite staff requests, contributed to the assault on Lal.
During the attack, a 911 call made by Dr. Jason Kimbrell, the hospital’s CEO, revealed the gravity of the situation, with Kimbrell expressing concern for the assailant rather than the staff member who had been injured. The incident led to public outcry and prompted the hospital to hire a sheriff’s deputy to work the night shift after prior security measures, which included only unarmed guards, were deemed insufficient.
Scantlebury now faces charges of attempted murder, and his attorneys are pursuing an insanity defense as the case approaches trial. In the meantime, Lal’s family continues to grapple with the lasting impacts of the attack, which they say fundamentally altered their lives. As her healing journey persists, the call for heightened security in hospitals remains a pressing issue, hoping to prevent future tragedies.