NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It was a highly arguable lawsuit that garnered nationalist attention: A caregiver charged with homicide for a mistake successful treating a patient.
Vanderbilt caregiver RaDonda Vaught killed a diligent by accidentally giving the incorrect medicine. Her proceedings is 1 of the apical stories of the past year.
At trial, the assemblage had to determine if Vaught's mistake was criminal. From the precise beginning, Vaught admitted she made a horrible mistake.
"I person replayed my mistakes implicit and implicit and implicit again. I'm conscionable precise sorry. I'm precise atrocious for what happened," said Vaught.
In 2017 Vaught, past a Vanderbilt caregiver accidentally gave the incorrect medicine to a diligent Charlene Murphey who died.
Assistant District Attorney Chad Jackson listed seventeen mistakes made by Vaught successful the attraction of the diligent and decided what happened was criminal.
"This lawsuit wasn't astir elemental nonrecreational negligence. It was astir gross neglect of a patient," Jackson said.
The arguable determination was made to complaint Vaught with reckless homicide.
If convicted, Vaught would look up to 10 years successful prison.
Her defence lawyer Peter Strianse conceded Vaught made a horrible mistake, but it wasn't transgression and that Vanderbilt should stock overmuch of the blame.
"I judge determination were systemic issues astatine Vanderbilt Medical Center that contributed to what happened here," helium added.
In contrast, prosecutors argued it was each the actions of Vaught.
"Vanderbilt did not enactment that medicine successful her manus oregon marque her override the system," said Jackson.
Many others and Vaught herself disagreed saying the prosecution showed a deficiency of knowing of the pressures and accent felt by nurses and others successful the wellness attraction industry.
"It's precise evident they don't cognize s--- astir wellness care. They don't springiness a s--- astir nurses. I don't attraction what Chad Jackson says," said Vaught.
After a three-day proceedings and 4 hours of deliberation, the assemblage returned a verdict connected a lesser charge.
"We the assemblage find the suspect RaDonda Vaught blameworthy of gross neglect of an impaired adult."
The felony condemnation could person brought situation time, but Charlene Murphey's lad Michael said, "Knowing my ma the mode ma was she wouldn't privation to spot her propulsion nary jailhouse time. That was conscionable mom. she was a precise forgiving person."
The justice past sentenced Vaught to 3 years of supervised probation.
Many expressed interest that this transgression prosecution for a mistake connected the occupation would person a chilling effect connected the nursing profession.
Prosecutors discount that saying this lawsuit was an outlier due to the fact that of the utmost circumstances.
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