A widow has settled for £45,000 and costs her action arising from her husband's death. He threw himself from the second floor of a psychiatric hospital.
Mrs Catherine Power (45), Stoneyford, Co Kilkenny, sued the South Eastern Health Board in the High Court following the death of her husband, Melvin (51), four years ago, after he threw himself from a window.
He had been admitted to St Canice's Hospital, Kilkenny, on January 16th, 1996. He suffered fatal injuries four days later and died in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin.
It was claimed there was a failure to assess properly his mental state or evaluate the suicide risk and his death was caused by negligence and breach of duty by the board, its servants or agents. The defence denied this.
Mrs Power claimed that from the time of his admission she and family members visited him. He said he felt low. During the afternoon of January 19th, 1996, Mr Power became very agitated and by early evening was complaining of severe head pain and demanding a "scan of his brain". It was claimed this was communicated to nurses.
The terms were approved by Mr Justice O'Donovan.