“Justice For Irvo Otieno: Family Settles Suit Over Tragic Death In Va. Mental Hospital

The family of Irvo Otieno, a patient of the McGuire Veterans Affairs Mental Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, has been granted a settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit regarding his passing in 2016. During the incident, the 35-year old Otieno was detained for several days unsupervised, before he was found unconscious. The lawsuit argued that the hospital was negligent, and didn’t provide proper care for Otieno during his detainment. They further argued that the hospital’s carelessness resulted in his death from an anoxic brain injury. After the death, the family initially filed a lawsuit against the McGuire Veterans Affairs Mental Hospital in 2017. After presenting evidence of systemic negligence on the behalf of the hospital, the family was awarded a settlement from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The settlement will go towards compensating the family for their loss. The incident brings attention to the issue of healthcare for veterans in mental hospitals across the United States. The case exemplifies the struggles that veterans face in securing the healthcare they need and a negligence on the part of the establishments that provide that healthcare. Otieno’s family is using this opportunity to stress the importance of affording veterans the healthcare and attention they need and deserve. In memory of Irvo Otieno and with respect for all the veterans in the United States, they are working with other organizations to advocate for better healthcare for veterans. The settlement won by the family of Irvo Otieno serves as a reminder for all of us to support veterans in our country, and to work towards improving their access to healthcare. The settlement also brings attention to the issue of mental health in the United States, and how we can all work to improve it.