Three people are suing PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center after a man who was incorrectly identified as his roommate was taken off life support. On Aug. 8, 2021, Vancouver resident David Wells choked on a piece of steak and lost consciousness. He was taken to the Vancouver hospital in an ambulance, where he was mistakenly identified as his roommate, Michael Beehler. The hospital contacted Beehler’s sister, Debbie Danielson, who, believing Wells was her brother, chose to take him off life support, according to the lawsuit. Vancouver-based Henderson Taylor Law Firm filed the suit Dec. 3 in Clark County Superior Court on behalf of the three plaintiffs: Danielson, Beehler and Shawn Wells, the son of David Wells. The plaintiffs are suing PeaceHealth for negligence and severe emotional distress “as a direct result of PeaceHealth’s extreme and outrageous conduct,” the lawsuit states.

“Defendant PeaceHealth … violated their duty, breached the applicable standards of care, and were negligent in misidentifying Mr. Wells and failing to disclose the misidentification to plaintiffs,” the lawsuit states. PeaceHealth spokeswoman Debra Carnes said the hospital cannot comment on pending litigation. “The PeaceHealth Southwest Emergency Department is one of the busiest on the West Coast, treating 80,000 patients a year. Our highly skilled health care team is committed to providing quality care in a safe environment every day,” Carnes said in an email Monday. “Given that PeaceHealth is involved in litigation, it is unfortunate we are unable to share the facts about this situation. Our unwavering commitment of caring for our community remains stronger than ever,” Carnes added. The plaintiffs also filed a separate lawsuit Aug. 5 against American Medical Response ambulance services, All County Cremation & Burial Services and the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The lawsuit alleges that AMR was negligent in misidentifying Wells. According to the lawsuit, All County and the medical examiner’s office both failed to disclose the misidentification error and notify next of kin. Both lawsuits are seeking an unspecified amount in damages. The medical examiner’s office and AMR both declined to comment on the lawsuit. All County Cremation & Burial Services did not respond to requests for comment.

This story was made possible by Community Funded Journalism, a project from The Columbian and the Local Media Foundation. Top donors include the Ed and Dollie Lynch Fund, Patricia, David and Jacob Nierenberg, Connie and Lee Kearney, Steve and Jan Oliva, The Cowlitz Tribal Foundation and the Mason E. Nolan Charitable Fund. The Columbian controls all content. For more information, visit columbian.com/cfj.