Dale Alice Martin was just 21 when a broken ankle led to a hospital visit that ended in tragedy. The Manhattan native, who lived in Bethlehem, Connecticut, had reportedly injured herself while working on a farm and was taken to Waterbury Hospital for treatment. According to a lawsuit filed by her family, Dale received multiple pain medications that allegedly left her dangerously sedated and unable to breathe properly. The legal filing claims that within 14 hours of her admission, her breathing stopped, followed by cardiac arrest. It further alleges that she was not checked on until approximately 7 a.m. on April 10, 2025, when a nurse discovered that her heart had stopped. An autopsy reportedly identified cardiac arrest as the cause of death, while the lawsuit links the fatal event to the medications she received. Her father, Lindsay Martin, described the devastating moment he learned what had happened, telling the Hartford Courant that he was left in shock after receiving the news. Now, the family is seeking answers about the treatment Dale received and whether her death could have been prevented.

The lawsuit, filed by attorney Christopher Mattei, also raises concerns about the hospital’s financial condition and the circumstances in which Dale received care. Her father said the family had not known about the facility’s financial difficulties before her death, adding that Dale had no choice in where she was taken because it was the nearest hospital. Waterbury Hospital was previously owned by Prospect Medical Holdings, which filed for bankruptcy in January 2025. In 2026, Hartford HealthCare acquired the hospital and two other facilities. Mattei has alleged that staffing reductions and weakened hospital infrastructure under the previous ownership may have jeopardized patient care, though those claims have not been established in court. A Waterbury Hospital spokesperson declined to comment, citing the fact that Dale’s death occurred before Hartford HealthCare took ownership. Former Prospect executives David Topper and Von Crockett reportedly did not respond to requests for comment. As the family pursues its case, the central questions remain what happened during Dale’s final hours and whether appropriate monitoring and treatment were provided. The allegations remain unproven, and the legal process will determine what responsibility, if any, rests with the medical providers or former hospital ownership.