At 3 a.m. on April 10, 2025, Martin was admitted to Waterbury Hospital with a fractured ankle after a fall on a farm. Within the next 14 hours, the medical team administered a cocktail of opioids that the lawsuit says left her sedated and unable to breathe. A nurse finally checked on her at 7 a.m., but the heart had already stopped.
The lawsuit claims the staff monitored her poorly, with no checks during the critical hours. An autopsy concluded cardiac arrest followed the pain‑killer overdose. The hospital was under new ownership when the death occurred, having been bought by Hartford HealthCare from the bankrupt Prospect Medical Holdings earlier that year.
Lindsay Martin told the Pelham Examiner he was shocked when the phone call came. He said his family had little choice but to seek care in Waterbury, where his daughter was treated. The family hired attorney Christopher Mattei to pursue the case.
The complaint, filed with the Connecticut Superior Court, seeks damages and an investigation into the hospital’s pain‑management protocols. A representative for the hospital declined to comment, noting the incident happened before Hartford HealthCare took over.
The lawsuit adds to a growing list of opioid‑related hospital deaths, prompting calls for stricter monitoring of pain‑killer administration. The court is scheduled to hear the case on July 10, 2025.