LOXAHATCHEE, Fla. (CBS12) — An attorney for a nurse who was attacked by a patient at HCA Florida Palms West Hospital says a lawsuit has been filed against the hospital today.
The nurse who was attacked, Leela Lal, is suing HCA Florida Palms West Hospital and Allied Universal Security.
“Almost every bone in her face was broken. She almost died,” said Karen Terry, attorney for Leela Lal.
Palms West had a contract with Allied Universal Security to provide security at the hospital.
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Lal is suing for negligence.
Her attorney, Karen Terry, says the alleged attacker, Stephen Scantlebury, 34, of Wellington, should never have been admitted to HCA Florida Palms West Hospital after he was treated in the Emergency Room and diagnosed as a Baker Act patient.
She says he should’ve been taken from HCA Florida Palms West Hospital to another hospital that is equipped to handle Baker Act patients such as HCA Florida JFK North Hospital on 45th Street in West Palm Beach.
The attack occurred one year ago today, on Feb. 18, 2025. Scantlebury is charged with attempted second-degree murder. He has been deemed competent to stand trial.
Terry says security at the hospital was not sufficient and doctors and nurses there don’t feel safe.
“You have an obligation to the public and an obligation to the healthcare workers who you should be striving to protect,” Terry said.
She says doctors and nurses at Palms West have reached out to her, expressing their concerns about their safety. She says there were other violent incidents at Palms West, prior to Lal being attacked.
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“Palms West and Allied Security had a really inadequate contract and this was just a recipe for disaster,” Terry said.
Terry says Lal is now at home after spending time in a rehab facility in Jacksonville. Her attorney says Lal suffered a traumatic brain injury, has double-vision and is unable to work or drive a car, and she lives with her son, who is now her caregiver.
Wednesday afternoon, we received a written statement from HCA Healthcare:
“Today marks a solemn day for HCA Florida Palms West Hospital. Our hearts remain with our nurse colleague and her loved ones, and we continue to keep them in our thoughts. The safety and well-being of our colleagues is and has always been a priority, and any suggestion otherwise would be misguided and false. While we are aware that the family has indicated an intent to pursue legal action, we have not been served a lawsuit and therefore will not comment on specific allegations. Following the incident, two separate healthcare regulatory agencies reviewed our processes and both concluded there were no deficiencies in HCA Florida Palms West Hospital protocols. As part of our ongoing commitment to safety, we made security enhancements. We remain committed to maintaining a safe environment for everyone who walks through our doors and will always continue to evaluate our practices.”
The lawsuit says HCA Florida and Palms West Hospital quote: “…failed to implement additional security and safety measures to protect invitees and employees of the hospital.” According to the lawsuit, Allied Universal Security did not post an adequate number of security officers in the hospital.
“We’re so upset because we feel this is something that shouldn’t have happened and it could have been avoidable. If things had played out differently her life would be so much more different than what it is today,” said Dr. Cindy Joseph, Lal’s daughter.
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