Piedmont Hospital is being sued over the lack of protective barriers in front of its emergency room after a car was accidentally driven into the building, killing a woman during the process, Channel 2 Action News reported.
Fredrick Hill told the news station Tuesday that his wife might still be alive if the Buckhead-based hospital had installed concrete or steel posts, which are called bollards, in front of its ER.
“I want answers,” he said. “If Piedmont (Hospital) had better safety stuff around it my wife would still be here.”
Kimberly Hill, 55, was at the hospital with her mother on the morning of June 30 when she became the victim of the deadly incident, AJC.com previously reported. Surveillance video shows the terrifying moment when a Mercedes-Benz SUV plowed into another vehicle and then through the ER’s lobby.
Atlanta police determined that the crash was not deliberate. The 75-year-old driver was not injured or charged. Police said the driver was on her way to a 7:40 a.m. appointment but no further information on what caused her to lose control has been released.
Darl Champion, Hill’s attorney, told Channel 2 that the grieving man has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the hospital.
“Piedmont (Hospital) has a responsibility to protect from foreseeable hazards,” Champion said, adding that the hospital has bollards protecting its front entrance but not its ER. “This would have been a relatively minor collision if Piedmont had those bollards up.”
The incident hurt four other people, including 29-year-old Kai Bailey, who suffered a broken pelvis and hips.
“I remember running from the red SUV,” Bailey said during a prior news conference with her attorney. “Either way I went, I was going to get hit that day.”
The hospital sent a statement to Channel 2 regarding the lawsuit that said, in part: “We would like to continue to express our deepest sympathies to everyone impacted by this accident and its aftermath.”
The hospital also said it will not comment on pending claims or investigations.
This story was first reported by Channel 2 Action News.
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