One year after a brutal attack inside a Palm Beach County hospital left a nurse with life-altering injuries, she and her family have filed a lawsuit alleging the incident could have been prevented.
Leelamma Lal, a longtime nurse, was working at HCA Florida Palms West Hospital on Feb. 18, 2025, when authorities say a patient being held under Florida’s Baker Act violently assaulted her. According to investigators with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the patient, Stephen Scantlebury, allegedly jumped from his hospital bed and repeatedly beat Lal before fleeing the building. Deputies apprehended him shortly afterward.
Now, Lal’s family has taken legal action against the hospital, its parent company HCA Healthcare, and private security contractor Allied Universal. The lawsuit claims the defendants failed to provide adequate security in a facility that allegedly had a history of violent incidents.
The attack left Lal with severe injuries that required months of hospitalization and rehabilitation. She eventually returned home after extended treatment, but her recovery remains ongoing. According to her family, she can no longer drive, cook independently or manage many daily activities she once handled with ease. She continues to receive treatment for double vision, cognitive challenges and heart-related complications.
