A woman has initiated legal proceedings against a prominent Connecticut hospital after she permanently blinded herself in both eyes using a plastic fork, following a severe mental health crisis triggered by menopause. Leslie Deardoff was admitted to Stamford Hospital's inpatient psychiatric unit in January 2022 after experiencing a medication overdose, according to a medical negligence lawsuit obtained by the Daily Mail.
Deardoff's mental health deteriorated significantly after she underwent menopause in 2020, the lawsuit alleges. Shortly after midnight on January 13, she repeatedly stabbed both of her eyes with a plastic fork that staff had provided during mealtime, the complaint states. Hospital staff only became aware of the extent of her injuries when Deardoff, bleeding profusely from both eyes, reported the incident at a nurse's station, the suit claims.
The damage has left Deardoff, now 61, permanently blind. Her injuries occurred just four hours after a psychiatric technician noted that Deardoff 'appeared withdrawn' and a nurse observed blood around her nose and mouth, the lawsuit says. The complaint, filed by both Deardoff and her husband Christopher, asserts that her injuries resulted from a 'myriad of missed warning signs, systems failures, and a culture of carelessness.'
Hospital's Defense and Alleged Negligence
Lawyers for the hospital filed a special defense, arguing that Deardoff's injuries were caused by comparative negligent conduct and contributory recklessness or intentional misconduct. Deardoff was in a 'vulnerable state' upon admission and had been 'antagonized by intrusive thoughts of harming herself,' the lawsuit states. Her condition worsened during the coronavirus pandemic, leading her to seek inpatient treatment at Stamford Hospital in November 2021 after an overdose attempt on prescribed medication, according to the court document.
She was discharged but returned to the hospital in January 2022 after a second suicide attempt, the complaint says. Deardoff, described by her lawyers as being at 'one of her lowest moments,' was then admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit. 'She could no longer care for herself and relied entirely on the mental health professionals who she and Christopher believed could be trusted during this crisis,' the complaint states. 'What followed, however, was a tragic course of incompetence and neglect that even Defendants do not truly defend.'
The lawsuit claims Deardoff was unattended and 'left alone to continue to harm herself' for at least four hours on January 12 and 13. A technician noted she was withdrawn and spending 'extensive periods of time' alone in the bathroom around 7 pm on the 12th, according to the filing. Around the same time, a nurse reported blood on Deardoff's nose and mouth but failed to complete a self-harm assessment, the lawsuit states. Instead, the nurse allegedly dismissed the bleeding as originating from an 'eyebrow scratch.'
Missed Warning Signs and Systemic Failures
Two hours later, a second nurse documented that Deardoff had 'slightly swollen and bloodshot eyes.' This prompted observation from a physician, but medical staff did not increase monitoring or alter her treatment plan, the filing says. Around midnight on January 13, Deardoff 'repeatedly gouged both her eyes with a fork tine until she blinded herself,' the suit claims. She then walked to the nursing station and complained that she 'could no longer see out of her right eye.'
The lawsuit accuses the hospital and its parent company, Stamford Health, Inc., of failing to conduct 15-minute safety checks or implement a one-to-one observational protocol, which was allegedly 'required in light of her two suicide attempts, her serious diagnoses, her lack of insight, and her impulsive behavior.' 'Not only had the Defendants ignored earlier indications that [she] was in the process of injuring herself, but they had also completely failed to conduct the regular 15-minute safety checks,' the complaint states.
It also criticizes nursing staff for allegedly 'recklessly' telling Deardoff that she would not be discharged from the psychiatric unit in the near future, which her lawyers claim caused her to 'spiral.' The complaint further accuses the hospital of lacking proper policies for tracking the distribution and return of eating utensils, and failing to confirm whether utensils used by patients were fully intact upon return.
Investigation and Settlement Attempt
An investigation by the Connecticut Department of Public Health found that staff failed to increase monitoring of Deardoff after she was found with a bloodied face and swollen eyes on January 12. Officials also determined that the hospital failed to ensure her eating utensils had been returned. Stamford Hospital and Stamford Health, Inc. offered to settle the case for $15 million in August 2024, but the offer was not accepted, court documents state.
The case is now expected to go to trial at the state Superior Court in Bridgeport, with jury selection scheduled to begin on June 25. The Daily Mail has approached Stamford Health and an attorney for the Deardoffs for comment.
