The family of an 83-year-old man who died last year from an allegedly nonprescribed insulin injection he was given at Quality Life Services–Chicora by a nurse who is facing criminal homicide charges, has sued the company.

The children and daughter-in-law of the late Joseph Leo Campbell filed the suit last week in Butler County Common Pleas Court seeking unspecified damages in excess of $35,000.

The suit claims the “injection was administered for the express purpose of killing Joseph Leo Campbell.”

Containing claims of wrongful death, medical battery, negligence and recklessness, the suit argues that Quality Life Services knew or should have known that registered nurse Heather Irene Pressdee, who has been charged in the deaths of two patients and for harming a third, had been investigated and fired by other facilities before hiring her in May last year.

Heather Pressdee

Pressdee, 40, of Natrona Heights in Allegheny County, who is being held in Butler County Prison without bail on first-degree murder and other charges, gave Campbell, a non-insulin dependent diabetic, a nonprescribed injection of insulin on Nov. 20, according to the lawsuit.

Campbell became noticeably lethargic and unresponsive that day following the injection and was taken to Butler Memorial Hospital for treatment. He was returned to Quality Life Services in hospice care, and died on Dec. 25.

“Solely due to the careless and negligent acts of the defendant and the intentional acts of defendant’s employee Pressdee, plaintiff’s decedent Joseph Leo Campbell suffered injuries and/or aggravation of injuries, which led to and caused his death,” according to the suit.

The suit alleges that Quality Life Services knew or should have known that Pressdee was previously fired by numerous employers, investigated for misconduct at several facilities and fired from at least one facility for violating protocols, and did or should have investigated her employment history before hiring her.

The state Attorney General’s office arrested Pressdee in May for the deaths of Campbell and a 55-year-old man, and for harming a 73-year-old man who survived after emergency hospitalization. The two other victims have not been identified. The 55-year-old man died Dec. 4. The 73-year-old man who survived was allegedly administered a potentially lethal dose of insulin on Aug. 31.

Pressdee is not a defendant in the suit, but is facing two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of criminal homicide, attempted homicide, aggravated assault, three counts of neglect of care of a dependent person and three counts of recklessly endangering another person.

Following Pressdee’s arrest, Attorney General Michelle Henry issued a statement saying: “The allegations in this case outline the callous abuse of incredibly vulnerable patients by a professional nurse. As the charges indicate, these were deliberate and intentional acts perpetrated by a caregiver who was trusted to care for these victims. Be assured, my office will zealously pursue justice for the families of those who were killed, as well as the third victim who is fortunate to have survived.”

A representative of Quality Life Services declined to comment, citing the ongoing suit.