Mother Sues Hospital for Emotional Distress After Being Told Son Was Dead

A mother has filed a lawsuit against Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas, alleging that staff negligently caused her severe emotional distress by falsely informing her that her son had died.

Marlene Garbowski claims she contacted the hospital in November 2024 to obtain medical documents for her son, Geoffrey Garbowski, to assist with his Supplemental Security Income benefits application. Hospital staff reportedly told Garbowski that they could not release her son's records because he was a "deceased patient."

According to the civil complaint, Garbowski was "paralyzed by grief" following this news. She stated that during the three days before learning her son was alive, she was largely unable to leave her bed and could not function in her daily life. The lawsuit also alleges that she had to take anti-anxiety medication for the first time in her life to cope with the distress.

Weeks later, a complaint manager at Southern Hills contacted Garbowski, acknowledging the error and apologizing, referring to it as a "learning tool" for staff. The lawsuit interprets this communication as an admission of wrongdoing by the hospital.

Southern Hills Hospital issued a statement to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, asserting their commitment to high standards of care and expressing confidence in their staff. The hospital suggested that the error occurred with a third-party vendor and that the allegations did not fully represent the circumstances. Due to the pending litigation, the hospital stated it could not comment further.

Garbowski is seeking at least $15,000 in compensation, along with additional damages to be determined in court. The lawsuit outlines causes of action for negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress, arguing that the hospital failed in its duty to provide accurate information. The complaint also references Nevada law requiring hospitals to maintain accurate medical records and employ sufficient staff to ensure timely and correct communication of patient information.

The Daily Mail has reported reaching out to both the hospital and Garbowski's attorney for further comment.