Queensland Health sued for hospital incompetence leading to Lyji Vaggs’ death
The lawyer representing the family of a 27 year-old man who died after being sedated and restrained at the Townsville hospital last week, says they will be suing Queensland Health over the man's death.
Earlier this month, Lyji Vaggs checked himself into the Townsville Hospital. According to the police, he had to be restrained after he became violent towards the medical staff.
He stopped breathing while he was being restrained and died in the intensive care unit three days later.
Stephen Kerin, the Vaggs' family lawyer says they will be pressing civil charges within a fortnight.
As you'd appreciate, it's a shocking thing when a young man goes to a hospital seeking help and ends up dead, he said.
I've had enough information at this stage to issue civil proceeding action notices against a number of persons and organizations and I'm going to do that.
It would be Queensland Health quite obviously and I am yet to ascertain the full involvement of the Queensland Police but I will wait for the coronial inquiry.
The actions of the four Townsville police officers who attended the disturbance are still being investigated by the Police Ethical Standards Command, however the Queensland Police Union (QPU) says their members did nothing wrong.
The State Coroner is also preparing a full report.