By: Caden Hurley

A settlement has been reached in the wrongful death lawsuit against State Senator Tyler Johnson from Leo, Indiana, who is also a practicing physician.

The lawsuit was filed after one of Dr. Johnson’s patients, twenty-year-old Esperanza Umana, was released by Dr. Johnson from Parkview Regional Medical Center’s emergency room in 2018 even though she had a high possibility of being septic and was showing symptoms of pneumonia, asthma, and the flu. 

Upon being released from the hospital, Umana went to a nearby pharmacy, where she collapsed in the parking lot. When medical personnel brought her back to the hospital, she was pronounced dead. According to a medical board that reviewed the case, Umana did not receive proper medical care.

Umana’s mother, Jennifer Becerra, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Dr. Johnson, his employer, Professional Emergency Physicians, and Parkview Regional.

According to Thomas Manges, an attorney for Becerra, the settlement has been accepted but has not been finalized yet. Manges also stated that the settlement would end the current lawsuit, but there will likely be a second to seek money from the Indiana Patient’s Compensation Fund.

Since the incident occurred in 2018, the cap for reimbursement in a medical malpractice lawsuit is $400,000. However, if damages exceed the limit, up to $1.25 million can be acquired through compensation funds.

This story originally appeared on the WANE 15 website by Lydia Reullie on July 18th, 2023.