Holidays and Seasons, Lawsuit of the Day, Violence

Lawsuit of the Day: Worst Safety Drill -- and Christmas Eve -- Ever

By  
on

Hampton Behavioral Health Center is a mental health clinic in New Jersey. Its website makes the place seem quite tranquil: lots of pastels and photos of clouds. A safe place.
The tranquility was disrupted on Christmas Eve 2007 when a masked gunman burst into the clinic’s pharmacy, reports Courthouse News Service. The gunman told pharmacy worker, Babette Perry, that he had already taken another hospital worker hostage and demanded Oxycontin. Perry tried to call for help but the phone line was down.
But it turns out this was all just a surprise safety drill. The “gunman” was actually a fellow hospital worker. The phones had been cut on purpose. There was no actual threat of being shot or taken hostage. Woo hoo, right?
Perry was not exactly relieved by this news. She’s now having mental health issues of her own, and has filed a suit against the clinic for compensatory and punitive damages. But even if she wins, she might have a hard time spending her money.


According to her complaint [PDF], Perry now suffers from PTSD because of the incident. She has anxiety, panic, nightmares and insomnia, and had to start seeing a therapist and taking medication for depression. And she can’t shop.
According to her complaint, her emotional distress includes:

Being afraid of visiting stores by herself because the thought of a security guard with a gun being at a store makes her anxious.

She’s also afraid to leave her house after dark. Strangely, she still works at the clinic’s pharmacy though she has to “stay at home on the anniversary of the drill to avoid further emotional distress.” At least she has a great reason to skip work on Christmas Eve.
‘Safety Drill’ Was Terrifying, Woman Says [Courthouse News Service]

Sponsored

Topics