A central Texas family caught in a terrifying emergency-room disaster has quietly settled its high-profile lawsuit against St. David’s, after a car barreled through the waiting area at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center and turned a routine ER visit into a mass-casualty scene.
Attorney Sean Breen confirmed that the family has reached a confidential agreement with the hospital. The Feb. 13, 2024, crash killed the driver and left five people injured, including a couple and their two young children.
Settlement Ends High-Profile Court Fight
The family’s attorney confirmed on Friday that both sides reached a deal behind closed doors. The settlement terms are confidential, and the case will no longer head to trial next month, according to KXAN.
What the Bernards Accused the Hospital Of
Levi and Nadia Bernard, along with their two toddlers, sued St. David’s in May, accusing the hospital of “gross negligence” for failing to install protective vertical barriers at the emergency-room entrance. The lawsuit seeks more than $1 million to cover medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering, according to Howry, Breen & Herman, LLP.
City Hall Scrambles, Statehouse Stalls
In the wake of the crash, the Austin City Council moved quickly, approving a resolution that requires bollards at new hospital entrances and directs staff to explore incentives for existing facilities to add similar protections. St. David’s later installed steel bollards at the entrance where the crash occurred, Community Impact reported.
At the state level, lawmakers introduced a bill that would have required crash-rated bollards at hospital emergency rooms across Texas. That proposal ultimately died after pushback from industry groups, according to reporting from Yahoo News.
Case Closed, Questions Linger
Court filings and news accounts show that St. David’s denied any negligence, and the settlement resolves the Bernard family’s claims without any admission of fault. The hospital has said the safety of patients and staff remains its top priority as local and state officials continue to weigh broader safety requirements, per KXAN…