A deaf Maryland woman and her mother, who is also deaf, filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson, MD alleging that the hospital refused to provide—or pay for—a sign language interpreter when the younger woman experienced a medical emergency in late 2009. "Plaintiffs requested but were denied sign language interpreter services and were thus unable to communicate effectively with Defendant's medical personnel during critical periods," reads the 11-page civil suit filed by Jennifer Simmons of Frederick and Susanna Paulay, who lives in New York. The suit claims that the hospital discriminated against Simmons based on her disability, violating U.S. law. It seeks unspecified damages.
