A wrongful death lawsuit filed regarding the death of 19-year-old University student Jill Dieringer was settled in early December. Her mother, Lori Hughes, was awarded $1.1 million from PeaceHealth.
Dieringer died of bacterial meningococcal disease in February 2001 at Sacred Heart Medical Center, which is owned by PeaceHealth.
Dieringer checked into Sacred Heart on Feb. 8, 2001 with a sore throat, fever, shaking, chills and severe muscle aches, according to the filed complaint. She was diagnosed with mononucleosis and was set for discharge several hours later.
While waiting to be discharged, Dieringer began to complain of dizziness and her blood pressure continued to drop, the complaint stated. She was then transferred to the temporary care unit for observation.
About 10 hours after checking into the hospital, Dieringer noticed purple spots on her cheek and arm. The doctor then diagnosed an acute bacterial infection and began an initial dose of antibiotics before transferring her to the intensive care unit.
The complaint states that Dieringer’s medical condition rapidly deteriorated once she was in the ICU. The purple spots spread over her body and she developed respiratory and bleeding problems.
Dieringer died about 18 hours after noticing the purple spots.
Barbara Penney, a friend of Dieringer’s who lived two doors down from her in Cloran Hall of Hamilton Complex, helped care for Dieringer before she went to the hospital.
“She was in a lot of pain,” Penney said. “Two of us stayed with her the night before she was taken to the hospital to try and help her feel better.”
Penney said that two international students found Dieringer in the bathroom and called the Department of Public Safety. She was then taken to the hospital.
More than two years after Dieringer’s death, Hughes sued PeaceHealth and Eugene Emergency Physicians, P.C. for $2.5 million in non-economic damages, which includes emotional damage to Hughes and the physical suffering of Dieringer. Hughes also sued for $940,000 in economic damages, or the loss of future earnings.
Hughes claimed that both defendants failed to suspect or diagnose acute bacterial infection and thus failed to start Dieringer on broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy in time to stop the infection. Hughes also accused the defendants of an improper diagnosis of mononucleosis or dehydration.
The jury found PeaceHealth 100 percent negligent in “one or more of the ways claimed,” but Eugene Emergency Physicians did not share responsibility in the death, according to the jury verdict. Hughes was awarded $1 million in non-economic damages and $100,000 in economic damages.
Brian Terrett, director of public affairs for the PeaceHealth Oregon region, said that a post-trial appeal has been submitted to the judge.
Although PeaceHealth lost the lawsuit, Terrett said the situation has helped educate the public.
“We’ve tried to take advantage of the educational opportunity,” he said. “We’ve discovered that the highest group at risk (for meningococcal) is college freshmen.”