Thomas Eric Duncan is the only person to have died from Ebola in the United States. The care that Duncan received at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, from all accounts, showed that he received inadequate service. Duncan, despite telling hospital staff that he had been to Africa and was running a fever, was discharged and diagnosed with what amounted to a bad cold. He returned to the hospital two days later in great distress and it was confirmed shortly afterward that he did, in fact, have Ebola. During his care two nurses were also infected with the dreaded disease.
Now word has come that the family has reached a confidential, out-of-court settlement with Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. According to statements released from the hospital and the lawyer for the family, attorney Les Weisbrod, all parties concerned were satisfied with the results. The terms of the settlement include financial support for his four children, his mother who lives in North Carolina and his father who lives in Liberia. In addition, the hospital stated it was creating a memorial fund in Duncan’s name to help Ebola victims in Africa. The hospital said in a statement regarding that the settlement “serves as an example of the commonsense Texas laws that allow discussions to take place immediately and be resolved quickly.” The hospital apologized to Duncan’s family and said it made mistakes when caring for Duncan.
