Man falls off surgical table; St. Joseph’s Hospital sued

Minneapolis Star Tribune, July 23, 2010

Max DeVries was sedated and awaiting a routine surgery when he rolled off the operating table and hit his head, where doctors had earlier removed part of his skull because of brain swelling following a stroke. The 61-year-old St. Paul man later died and the family contends St. Joseph's Hospital of St. Paul didn't use proper procedures and equipment to safeguard DeVries, who was 5-feet-5 and weighed about 300 pounds. According to a lawsuit filed Thursday in Ramsey County District Court, "The fall from the operating table was a direct cause of, or contributed to, the death of Max DeVries."