Man blames Jackson Park Hospital and Medical Center for mother's death

A man is suing over claims his mother died after hospital staff failed to monitor her.

James Morgan, as independent administrator of the Estate of Edith Whitaker, filed a wrongful death lawsuit Oct. 27 in Cook County Circuit Court against Jackson Park Hospital Foundation, doing business as Jackson Park Hospital and Medical Center, and registered nurse Charlesetta Clay.

According to the complaint, Whitaker was a patient of Jackson Park Hospital, where she came under the treatment of Clay on Aug. 29, 2011, when she pulled out her nasogastric tube, resulting in aspiration pneumonia, cardiopulmonary arrest, and anoxic encephalopathy.

Morgan claims these conditions led to incompetence in Whitaker, an inability to make decisions and the deterioration of her condition until her Oct. 30, 2012 death that he alleges was untimely.

Morgan accuses the defendants of failing to properly evaluate, monitor and restrain Whitaker. He is represented by attorneys Michael S. Shinsky and Erin R. Doyle of Kralovec, Jambois and Schwartz in Chicago.

Cook County Circuit Court case number: 2014L011101.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt and it represents only one side of the story.