Attorneys on Monday said that Vista Medical Center in Waukegan is in violation of a court order to turn over surveillance video in Chelsea Adolphus’ death after she was found on the hospital’s rooftop.
Civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump is representing the family of Adolphus, 28, of Waukegan, and filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the owners of Vista Medical Center East in February on the family’s behalf.
Crump held a press conference alongside co-counsel from Taxman, Pollock, Murray, & Bekkerman, LLC on Monday to honor the memory of Adolphus on what would have been her 29th birthday and to provide updates on the case.
Adolphus was admitted to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan around 4 a.m. on January 22 seeking medical treatment.
She left her patient room on the fifth floor around 2 a.m. on January 23 and was discovered almost seven hours later on the second-floor rooftop of the hospital at approximately 8:45 a.m., Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek previously said.
“The door we believe she exited, if you exit that door, you are not able to return back inside of the hospital,” Banek said, adding that it is believed that the door she exited did not have alarms.
She was found unresponsive on the rooftop while only wearing her hospital gown. Temperatures were in the low 20s at the time.
Adolphus was brought from the rooftop to the emergency room where staff provided treatment, including warming her body temperature, which was 50 degrees Fahrenheit, Banek said.
The woman was pronounced dead around 11 p.m. on January 23 after staff attempted to resuscitate and warm Adolphus for 14 hours.
Crump said Adolphus’ death from hypothermia is “one of the worst” ways to die and said that a family member of another patient in the hospital was the one that ultimately spotted Adolphus on the rooftop and notified the hospital staff.
The attorney said the family continues to have questions for Vista that have gone unanswered, including why it took so long to find Adolphus, whether the hospital called 911 and why the hospital told the family initially that Adolphus was found at a gas station — not on the rooftop.
“Why isn’t Chelsea here to blow out her own birthday candles?” Crump said. “The family believes she died as a result of profit over safety.”
Crump called on Vista to release the surveillance video. Attorney Brad Pollock said that a judge ordered the hospital to turn over the video and other material by March 5 but Vista has not complied with the order.
Pollock said that the video and other information was not turned over by the deadline and his office has filed a motion to compel, which is being reviewed by the court.
Adolphus’ family members also attended the press conference, which was held in Chicago, and Adolphus’ mother was visibly upset and wept throughout the event.
Paul Adolphus said his sister would still be here if she had not gone to Vista Medical Center. “Why isn’t Chelsea here today to blow out her own candles?” he asked.
Attorneys said they are asking members of the community to come forward if they have information that can help provide answers to the Adolphus family.
“Please if you have information, come forward, and we ask that you help,” Pollock said.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office is set to perform a jury inquest on Adolphus on April 10.