A California woman died at the hospital. Her family, unaware, ​searched for her for more than a year​​

Cheri Mossburg, CNN

SACRAMENTO, California (CNN) — A suit revenge successful California alleges a infirmary misplaced a diligent and grounded to notify her family. Here is what nan family says happened:

Jessie Peterson suffered a diabetic section and was taken to a infirmary successful Sacramento, California, connected April 6, 2023. The 31-year-old said pinch her mother connected nan telephone 2 days later, asking to beryllium picked up from nan hospital.

But that telephone telephone would beryllium nan past clip her family heard from her.

Peterson’s mother called nan infirmary 3 days later, only to beryllium told location was nary 1 location by that name. She said, aft persisting, she was told Jessie near nan infirmary against nan proposal of her doctors.

Peterson’s family began a relentless search, filing a missing persons report, reaching retired to nan community, posting flyers pinch her photograph passim nan city, moreover getting her sanction added to nan US Department of Justice website for missing persons.

Finally, much than a twelvemonth aft her disappearance, a telephone telephone from a detective pinch nan Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office gave them nan news they had dreaded: A decease certificate had been issued for Jessie.

One of Jessie’s sisters went to nan Sacramento County Coroner’s Office but was told her remains were not there. Instead, she was told to interaction nan hospital.

Peterson’s mother, Ginger Congi, reached personification astatine nan infirmary who told her they would telephone back. No telephone came immediately, but a mortuary later contacted Congi and said Jessie’s assemblage had been recovered astatine 1 of nan hospital’s off-site acold retention facilities.

Her assemblage was excessively decomposed for an autopsy.

As it turned out, Jessie had died astir 2 hours aft her past telephone to her mother.

Jessie’s family sues infirmary for negligence

Jessie’s destiny was elaborate successful a $25 cardinal dollar suit revenge against nan hospital.

In nan suit, her family said nan infirmary ne'er notified them of her decease and misplaced her body.

The suit accuses Dignity Health/Mercy San Juan Medical Center of negligence, negligent handling of a corpse, negligent infliction of affectional distress and violating California Health and Safety Code.

“We widen our deepest sympathies to nan family during this difficult time,” said Dignity Health successful a statement. “We are incapable to remark connected pending litigation.”

Jessie Peterson was diagnosed pinch type 1 glucosuria erstwhile she was 10 years old, family lawyer Marc Greenberg told CNN. She had been hospitalized for complications of nan illness astir 20 times passim her life, including doubly successful nan erstwhile months earlier her decease and again for a last clip connected April 6, 2023, Greenberg said. At times, she battled pinch addiction and homelessness, he said.

The time aft her death, Peterson’s assemblage was taken to a adjacent morgue.

“On April 9, 2023, Mercy San Juan infirmary transferred Jessie’s assemblage to a acold retention facility. Jessie was placed connected Shelf Number Red 22 A and forgotten,” nan title states.

“Jessie’s family was not notified of Jessie’s passing, contempt extended erstwhile interaction betwixt nan infirmary and Jessie’s family, arsenic good arsenic nan truth that Ginger was listed arsenic Jessie’s adjacent of kin,” nan suit states.

On April 4, 2024, immoderate 362 days aft she died, a decease certificate was issued for Jessie Peterson, signed by a expert astatine Mercy San Juan Medical Center who is not named arsenic a suspect successful nan lawsuit.

Just complete a week later, a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office detective told nan family Peterson had died.

It is unclear what led to nan hold successful Peterson’s decease certificate being issued. California’s Health and Safety Code states nan attending expert must complete nan accusation wrong 15 hours of a patient’s death.

Decomposition complete nan people of nan twelvemonth Peterson’s assemblage was successful retention would not let for an unfastened casket ceremonial aliases moreover for an autopsy to beryllium conducted to find if location was immoderate aesculapian malpractice, nan suit states.

“Because Jessie’s decease was not reported to family for a twelvemonth aft her death, an autopsy to find whether aesculapian malpractice played immoderate domiciled successful her decease was rendered impossible,” according to nan filing.

“When they deliberation of her now, they deliberation of her connected a support successful a assemblage container alternatively of really she was,” said Greenberg of Peterson’s family. “They don’t really person nan closure of knowing what nan hellhole really happened.”