PITTSBURGH — Defendants in a case dealing with the alleged wrongful death of an Allegheny Health Network patient filed multiple objections against the plaintiff's lawsuit recently, arguing that several sections be stricken from the complaint.
In October, Kristin Amos-Abanyie filed a complaint against Allegheny Health Network. Amos-Abanyie was a personal representative of a deceased woman — Mary Schmid — and her estate. She claimed that the hospital was responsible for the death of Schmid and alleged negligence.
In the complaint, the plaintiff alleged that the health conditions that her mother developed while she was at the hospital contributed to her deteriorating health and ultimately her death. She requested a trial by jury and sought judgment in an amount that was beyond the jurisdictional limits of the court.
Last month, defendants Dr. Alan D. Bramowitz and Jefferson Cardiology Association filed objections pointing out that Amos-Abanyie alleged medical negligence against a large number of defendants. They also state that in the plaintiff’s 236-paragraph complaint, she lists every minor detail — hospital room temperature, her mother’s beverage preferences, etc.
They claim that it was all in an attempt to justify her causes of action. They allege she never complained to anyone in the Health Network.
The lengthy complaint against multiple defendants at the Allegheny Health Network is not conducive to a proper complaint, the defendants objected. According to court documents, the defendants claim that "this type of catch-all language is inappropriate and violates the specificity requirements articulated in the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure.”
If Amos-Abanyie is to sue Bramowitz for his actions, the objections state, she must specifically outline the ways in which she believes he displayed malpractice and improper care toward her mother, and the proof has to be clear and concise.
The objections go on to say that if the court allowed the complaint to proceed, Bramowitz would be forced to go through all 236 paragraphs of the complaint and figure out what pertains to him, which would be a guess.