Las Vegas Woman Dies of Heat Exposure After Release from Treatment Facility, Family Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit
- Victor Nwoko
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
A 50-year-old Las Vegas mother died from environmental heat stress after being discharged from medical care, prompting a wrongful death lawsuit that alleges medical negligence and administrative failures by two healthcare facilities.
Melissa Gallia, a mother of two who had been struggling with alcohol addiction following the death of her own mother, checked herself into Desert Hope Treatment Center on the evening of June 29, 2023. The facility admitted her and administered medications overnight to manage her condition. However, by June 30, her symptoms escalated, with Gallia reporting hallucinations, anxiety, and restlessness.
Around 5:54 a.m. on July 1, she was transferred to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center by ambulance after staff at Desert Hope called 911. Despite her worsening symptoms, Gallia was not admitted to the hospital until 11:06 a.m. and was discharged less than 30 minutes later. According to medical records cited in the lawsuit, the attending physician labeled her behavior as "drug-seeking" and stated she could return home.
Surveillance footage later captured Gallia alone and disoriented in a nearby parking lot at approximately 2:21 p.m. She sat in a landscaped area before collapsing in a parking space. By the time an employee found her around 4 p.m., she was unresponsive. Emergency responders pronounced her dead at 6:25 p.m. The Clark County Coroner's autopsy confirmed her cause of death as environmental heat stress. Temperatures in Las Vegas that day reached 107 degrees.
Gallia’s husband, Bart, claims he was unaware of her transfer to the emergency room and was not informed of her discharge. The complaint states that Desert Hope did not contact him until 3:28 a.m. on July 2, when a nurse called asking if he knew Gallia’s whereabouts. Only later that day did Bart learn of his wife’s death, after receiving a call from the coroner’s office.
The lawsuit, filed in Clark County District Court, alleges gross negligence, medical malpractice, and multiple breaches in the standard of care by both Desert Hope and Sunrise Hospital. Expert testimonies included in the case highlight failures to properly monitor Gallia’s deteriorating condition, failure to communicate vital updates to her authorized family members, and premature discharge despite active symptoms of mental and physical distress.
One medical expert involved in the case described the situation as unprecedented, stating, “In all my years of practice, I have never seen so many missed opportunities to provide proper care.”
The complaint also outlines that Gallia had signed documents authorizing both facilities to communicate with her husband and father regarding her care, yet neither facility reached out to inform them during the critical hours leading up to her death.
The family’s attorney, Robert Murdock, said the tragedy was preventable: “Had Desert Hope or Sunrise Hospital simply picked up the phone and called Melissa’s husband Bart, Melissa would not have died in the heat of Las Vegas.”
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for the wrongful death and emotional distress caused by the alleged negligence.
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