A University of Minnesota student, Genevieve Lizotte, has filed a lawsuit against the university and HART Radius, the owner of her off-campus apartment, alleging negligence and breach of contract.
The lawsuit claims that the defendants' inaction led to her near-death experience from sepsis, an infection that she suffered for 16 hours on her bathroom floor.
In April 2023, Lizotte underwent a significant knee surgery and returned to her apartment, Radius, located near the university's campus, for recovery. According to the lawsuit, Lizotte fell seriously ill due to an infection from her surgery. She reached out to the community adviser (CA) on duty at 2:30 am on April 23, stating, "I had surgery, my knee is very red, I have fallen, cannot get up, and I need water. Please help me."
The lawsuit highlights that students are instructed to report medical needs to CAs. The University of Minnesota asserts that it offers round-the-clock staff assistance at its residence halls, including a residence director who supervises the CAs responsible for building operations. However, the university refrained from commenting on the ongoing litigation when approached by Fox News Digital.
The lawsuit further states, "The CA later claimed that she had knocked on Plaintiff's door, received no response, and left." Consequently, Lizotte remained on the floor for an additional 16 hours, her fever escalating as the infection spread throughout her body.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes sepsis as "the bodys extreme response to an infection," which can escalate into "a life-threatening medical emergency."
On April 24, Lizotte's family, residing over two hours away in Moorhead, Minnesota, grew concerned when they were unable to contact her. They reached out to the CA in her building, who reportedly told them, "Yeah, she called last night at 2:30 am saying she had fallen and asking for water, but she didn't answer her door, so I left. We haven't heard anything more."
Alarmed for her safety, Lizotte's family contacted law enforcement to check on her. The lawsuit details the harrowing scene that awaited the officers: "When law enforcement entered Plaintiff's apartment, they found her on the bathroom floor, unresponsive, having a seizure, barely alive, in a pool of blood, and with a fever of 106."
Lizotte was immediately rushed to a hospital, where she was treated for sepsis and fell into a coma. Her family was informed that she "likely would not live" as "the infection had impacted her heart, lungs, and brain."
While Lizotte was comatose, the Radius residence director contacted her family, stating, "Well, when she wakes up, we need to go over the rules with Eve. She can't just call CA at 2:30 am asking for water." The lawsuit also alleges that the director stated Lizotte would need to vacate the building as she had not signed a new contract.
Following her ordeal, Lizotte underwent eight surgeries and spent eight weeks in the hospital due to the severity of her infection. She is now suing the university and HART Radius for $50,000 in damages, arguing that they breached their contracts, acted negligently, and are "vicariously liable and responsible for the negligent conduct that harmed Plaintiff."
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