He was in a locked psychiatric ward for a reason. He had a history of mental instability. He had done some things in the past that required him to be under psychiatric care.

In the past he had swallowed dominos- not the pizza, but the rectangular domino's that you use to play the game dominos. He had swallowed marbles. He had swallowed coins.

You would think that the hospital staff would make sure that their closets and cabinets were securely locked. 

A utility cleaning closet was left unlocked, and although the patient was on a locked floor, he still had the ability to walk the entire floor. As he was exploring one day, he found the cleaning utility closet unlocked.

He found typical cleaning supplies. A mop, a bucket, bleach, drano and other assorted cleaning materials. So, what did this patient do?

He decided he was thirsty. He grabbed the drano. Unscrewed the top off and started chugging away. This was not good. He wound up in the hospital with massive burns to his gastrointestinal system; his mouth, his throat, his esophagus, his stomach and his intestines.

Gerry Oginski
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NY Medical Malpractice & Personal Injury Trial Lawyer