Family Sues Hospital After 89-Year-Old's Death

A family is suing the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center following the death of an 89-year-old dementia patient who was discovered dead on the hospital's roof.

According to the lawsuit, the hospital is being sued for reported negligence and allegedly trying to cover up the death.

Rose Lee Diggs went missing in the late afternoon hours of Dec. 2 and was discovered about 8 a.m. the next day at UPMC Montefiore. According to police, the woman, wandered through a fire door and up some steps to a rooftop door.

The lawsuit claims that UPMC interfered with a police investigation by replacing a lock on the roof door after Diggs was found.The suit also alleges UPMC failed to properly diagnose and monitor Diggs several days before her death, when she was transferred to the hospital from a nursing home. Finally, attorneys claim UPMC waited to notify police after they located Diggs.

The lawsuit is seeking damages of more than $25,000.

In a released statement, UPMC claimed that the hospital "is committed to the care and treatment of our patients in a safe environment. As we announced in December, we have created Condition L to quickly find patients who wander from their units and have implemented a number of other safety measures. We are confident that these initiatives will further ensure the safest environment possible for our patients."