A lawsuit involving Windsor, Ont., hospital and the family of a nurse slain at work by her ex-boyfriend has been settled, according to The Canadian Press. The details of the financial settlement of the $13.5-million suit are being kept confidential, according to the lawyer for the slain woman's family.
The nurse was stabbed to death while on duty at Windsor's Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital by her ex-boyfriend, an anesthesiologist, who also worked at the hospital. He committed suicide by injecting himself with a fatal dose of anesthetic.
A coroner's inquest into the nurse's death recommended the Labour Ministry consider abuse and harassment as factors warranting investigation when the safety of an employee is at issue. The coroner's jury also called for a review of the Public Hospitals Act to examine the hospital-physician relationship to ensure safety and quality care in hospitals.
Details of the crime were heard at the coroner's inquest claiming the pair had a romantic relationship, ending in 2005. Around that time, the "boyfriend" made a first suicide attempt. Although the hospital claimed the man was monitored after his return to work from the suicide attempt, several of the nurse's colleagues said they felt threatened by his strange behavior. Her mother further testified her daughter was constantly harassed after the couple's breakup. (workersxzcompxzkit)
This death and another occurring in 1996, also involving workplace harassment, prompted the Ontario government to pass legislation in 2009 it said would better protect workers. The bill forces employers to prepare policies on workplace violence and harassment, and requires them to take "reasonable precautions" to protect employees from domestic violence occurring in the workplace.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers' Compensation costs, including airlines, health care, manufacturing, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. He can be contacted at: Robert_Elliott@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com or 860-553-6604.
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