THE ACREAGE, Fla. — A year after a harrowing attack at Palms West Hospital, the family of nurse Leela Lal is taking legal action, claiming that the hospital neglected known security vulnerabilities, leading to a brutal assault that nearly cost her life. At 67, Lal was working on the hospital’s third floor when she was viciously attacked by a patient identified as Stephen Scantlebury.
Emerging details from the incident reveal a chaotic scene as emergency calls flooded dispatch. One caller described the environment as “absolute chaos,” while another urgently reported that Lal was on the floor and unresponsive. After the assault, Scantlebury fled the hospital, prompting a police manhunt that ultimately resulted in his capture.
Lal was airlifted to St. Mary’s Medical Center, where she sustained catastrophic injuries, including severe facial trauma and a significant brain injury that nearly left her blind. After enduring weeks of hospitalization and months of rehabilitation in Jacksonville, Lal returned home, but her family reports the road to recovery remains long and fraught with challenges.
Dr. Cindy Joseph, Lal’s daughter, expresses deep concern about her mother’s progress, noting, “It’s been a year, and she is not where she expected to be.” Lal continues to grapple with double vision, balance issues, and reliance on family for basic transportation needs.
On the anniversary of the attack, attorney Karen Terry filed a negligence lawsuit against HCA/Palms West Hospital and Allied Security. In her claim, Terry contends the hospital was aware of its inadequate security measures long before the incident occurred. She criticized the facility for prioritizing profits over the safety of its patients and staff.
The lawsuit highlights a troubling history of prior violent episodes at the hospital, including a separate incident in 2023 when a woman dramatically entered the neonatal intensive care unit, endangering staff and patients. Despite this, the complaint alleges that security on the third floor was insufficient, particularly concerning Scantlebury, who was a Baker Act patient.
According to the suit, security failures at Palms West Hospital were not isolated cases but rather systemic issues that were consistently ignored despite requests from staff and regulatory requirements. The hospital’s CEO was recorded during the attack acknowledging the gravity of the situation but seemingly downplaying the assault on Lal in favor of addressing the Baker Act patient’s status.
Joseph passionately asserts that the attack should never have transpired, stating, “I’m angry this happened. It was preventable and shouldn’t have happened.”
Both Palms West Hospital and Allied Security have yet to respond publicly to the lawsuit. In the aftermath of public outcry, the hospital hired a sheriff’s deputy for night shifts to bolster security, although prior measures included only unarmed guards in the lobby and emergency areas.
Scantlebury faces charges of attempted murder, and his legal team is reportedly exploring an insanity defense as his case approaches trial. Meanwhile, Lal continues her reluctant journey to recovery, profoundly affected both physically and emotionally by a night that irrevocably altered her life and that of her family.