A woman in Las Vegas is suing a hospital after a staff member allegedly told her in error that her son had died.

Marlene Garbowski filed her lawsuit in the Clark County District Court on Wednesday. She claims the alleged 2024 episode caused her to suffer severe emotional distress and is accusing Southern Hills Hospital of negligence and infliction of distress.

The lawsuit claims that Garbowski called the hospital asking about her son Geoffrey’s medical records as part of an application for Social Security benefits.

Someone she spoke to at the hospital allegedly told her that they could not release the records because they were for a “deceased patient.”

Garbowski claims in the lawsuit that she believed her son was dead for approximately three days before she learned that he was still alive.

She says during the time she believed her son was dead, she experienced “extreme grief” and was unable to leave her bed. The lawsuit claims she felt compelled to take anti-anxiety medication that she had previously not used to cope with her distress.

The complaint says that, several weeks after the incident, a manager from Southern Hills called Garbowski “to acknowledge the error” and to apologize on behalf of the hospital. The manager allegedly said the hospital would use the incident as a “learning tool” for the hospital.

Garbowski is seeking $15,000, plus special damages. She accuses the hospital of violating its duty to care for patients and to enforce policies regarding a patient’s status.

Southern Hills provided the following statement to News 3 Las Vegas:

“We are sympathetic to the concerns raised by this situation. Our team is committed to the highest standards of care and service, and we have confidence in the professionalism and dedication of our colleagues. The information we have reviewed indicates that an error occurred in a process handled by a third-party vendor, and the allegations do not fully reflect the circumstances. Because this matter is the subject of pending litigation, we are unable to comment further.”