Waterbury Hospital sued over fatal painkiller overdose

The family of 21-year-old Dale Alice Martin has filed a lawsuit against Waterbury Hospital in Connecticut, alleging medical malpractice following her death. Martin, a Manhattan native and college student, was admitted to the hospital on April 10, 2025, to treat a broken ankle sustained during farm work.

According to court documents, Martin was administered an excessive amount of pain medication within 14 hours of her admission. The lawsuit claims the combination of drugs caused respiratory depression and subsequent cardiac arrest. Her family alleges that hospital staff failed to monitor her adequately, leaving her unable to call for help as she suffocated. A nurse eventually discovered her at 7 a.m., but her heart had already stopped.

In addition to the allegations of negligence, Martin’s father, Lindsay Martin, highlighted the hospital’s precarious financial situation, noting that the facility was reportedly bankrupt and under investigation at the time of the incident. The autopsy confirmed that the cause of death was cardiac arrest following the administration of multiple painkillers.