Dylan Hernandez, a minor, and Jasmine Hernandez v. Temple University Hospital Inc

Case Background

In October 2021, Dylan Hernandez's mother, Jasmine Hernandez, filed a medical malpractice complaint in the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, First Judicial District on her son's behalf, against Temple University Hospital. She claimed that Temple's negligence and failure to provide adequate directly caused his injuries. [Case number: 211001422]

Cause

On July 22, 2020, a shooter shot 15-year-old Dylan Hernandez in the neck, and medics transported him to Episcopal Hospital. At Episcopal, medical staff intubated and stabilized him before moving him to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) at Temple University Hospital. At Temple, doctors diagnosed him with a fractured C2 vertebra, a broken jaw, and an injury to his left vertebral artery. Two days later, a speech therapist performed a barium swallow test, which indicated moderate pharyngeal dysphagia and a high risk of aspiration when eating or drinking. A physician at Temple University Hospital advised Dylan’s mother to feed him mashed potatoes despite the risk indicated by the barium swallow test. However, less than two days after disch