Lawsuit: Family of Arizona Man Who Died After Being Discharged and ‘Ubered’ to Hot Sidewalk Blames Hospital

A family is suing an Arizona hospital over the death of their adult son who died after being left on a hot sidewalk in August.

Seth and Gayle Lachica are the parents of Kaelen Lachica, the 27-year-old the wrongful death lawsuit said was wrongfully discharged from Abrazo Health Arrowhead, put into an Uber, and dropped off at a homeless shelter in Phoenix, Fox News reported on Friday.

Kaelen had been suffering from anorexia, which is an eating disorder and mental illness that causes a patient to severely limit their food intake, per the Cleveland Clinic.

“Over time, anorexia can lead to malnutrition and a severely low BMI. This can have serious health consequences. Without recognition and treatment, it can be life-threatening,” the site reads. “This is why it’s important to seek help if you’re noticing the signs of anorexia in yourself or a loved one.”

Kaelen had been improving but eventually ended up at Arrowhead following a possible stroke and more weight loss.

A few days before he was discharged, he reportedly became “delusional” and “immobile,” hit a nurse, and wanted to leave the facility against medical staff’s advice, family attorney Richard Lyons said.

The hospital allegedly put Kaelen into an Uber and he was taken to the homeless shelter. The family’s attorney said the young man was unable to remember his address at the time but it was on his medical records.

Temperatures were in the triple digits when a police officer found the young man on the sidewalk, collapsed, and emergency crews performed CPR to try and revive him. However, he later died at another hospital.

“I told them not to release him. They f—— Ubered him here. They Ubered him here this morning and just f—— dropped him off to die,” Seth Lachica told officers who were at the scene.

Kaelen’s father later said what happened to his son was “a flagrant disregard for his well-being,” according to ABC 15.

“He wanted to be healthy. And we were hopeful. We were always hopeful. And now they’ve taken that hope away from us. They’ve taken the hope that maybe he would get better away from us. And it’s so sad that he had to die alone on the street,” Seth Lachica added.

The father also said he told a social worker at the hospital he had Medical Power of Attorney, according to 12 News.

“I expressed how concerned I was with Kaelen’s mental state. I expressed he wasn’t himself, and I told him you know, make sure I’ve got Medical Power of Attorney which I provided them Medical Power of Attorney,” he said. “I told him specifically that he will die, he will die if you discharge him from this hospital.”

Seth Lachica has laid the blame at the hospital’s feet, saying, “There was no care, no consideration for safety, for his life. I believe that overall, Abrazo is at fault.”