Dr. Decapitated By Faulty Elevator At St Joseph Hospital

Houston Chronicle ^ | August 17, 2003 | Peggy O'Hare

[Mamzelle]

Baylor hospitals...

Ironic, considering that Baylor Law School runs Baylor. Texans think it's the Baptists, but the college leadership kicked out the Baptists in favor of the lawyers.

[Mamzelle]

The hospitals in this country are a breath away from cutting the vital services or shutting down. And, yes, the illegal aliens are a very big stress on the system, but one that can hopefully be removed when the ERs get shut down.

[Mamzelle]

LA County lost $350M last year on ER care for illegals. Only ER care, and only for illegals, and only in one couty.

[ChemistCat]

I bet more people die on stairs than die on elevators.

But I'm getting pretty phobic about the nasty old elevators on my university's campus. They make me very uneasy every time I have to ride one. Being disabled, I can't do stairs much.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Monkathon all day today on USA ( I saw your song )

My VCR is running as we speak.

[ChemistCat]

Hi Richard Bach. Didn't know you FReeped. :-)

[Paleo Conservative]

"spells HUGE negligence"

I think it spells Tough, Smart Lawyer.

There a lots of trial lawyers with in a 2 mile radius of the hospital.

[supercat]

And how come elevator door motors are strong enough to decapitate???

Are you joking!? Even a small elevator will have a 1,000lb capacity; most hospital elevators are probably closer to 3,000lbs. The only way an elevator is going to be able to lift 3,000lbs is if the motor and counterweight together can put 3,000lbs of upward force on the car. If a 3,000lb-capacity elevator has 500lbs of people in it, that means that there will be 2,500lbs of force available to damage anything that gets stuck.

I suppose it would be possible to construct an elevator with a scale on the floor to decide--before starting the elevator--how much force will be considered "acceptable", but a simpler approach would be to simply have door switches that actually work.

[supercat]

The whole thing went haywire I suppose, and the elevator took off extremely fast to have severed his head.

What makes you think that? To be sure, having at least three safety switches fail isn't exactly normal operation, but I expect the motor was simply lifting the car as it is designed to do. Elevator motors produce a lot of force, since they have to be able to lift heavy loads.

[Eaker]

Damn.

Same thread and we agree!!!!

;<)

[Lady Jag]

See? We'll be close friends before you know it. But, you know, if he'd been a salesman instead of doctor, he'd have known to put his foot first rather than his head.

[UncleDudley]

LA County lost $350M last year on ER care for illegals. Only ER care, and only for illegals, and only in one couty

I wonder who pays for this? I suspect taxpayers do. And all the while, the invaders of this country are laughing their heads off at what weak fools we are.

[b4its2late]

Heads up!

[Eaker]

if he'd been a salesman instead of doctor, he'd have known to put his foot first rather than his head.

So true.

Here is a pic of my dogs!!! The wife knocked'em right out!!

[ChemistCat]

You know, when a major corporation so grossly mistreats someone, or a bunch of someones, it DOES keep going around until it comes back to bite them. I promise you Circus-Circus won't be getting my business.

[demkicker]

This is bad. I worked with this guy's dad, who happens to be one of the best pediatric cardio-thoracic surgeons in the state of Texas. Big loss for all of us.

Wow, I'm sorry your experience with this story is so personal. Sounds like this family is top-notch, smart, loving and giving. I'm saddened by their suffering and pray God will get them through this unbearable time.

[demkicker]

This is bad. I worked with this guy's dad, who happens to be one of the best pediatric cardio-thoracic surgeons in the state of Texas. Big loss for all of us.

Wow, I'm sorry your experience with this story is so personal. Sounds like this family is top-notch, smart, loving and giving. I'm saddened by their suffering and pray God will get them through this unbearable time.

[Double Tap]

You keep going on and on about Baylor Houston Hospital, yet I know of no such place. Please clarify which hospital you are talking about.

[The South Texan]

I can't even imagine seeing such a site. Prayers for this poor soul's family.