Texas Supreme Court To Hear Ohio Bridal Shop Case Against Texas Health Resources After 2014 Ebola Outbreak
TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) — The Texas Supreme Court will hear a case filed by an Ohio bridal shop against Texas Health Resources after Texas nurse, Amber Vinson, visited after unknowingly contracting the Ebola virus at work.
Vinson was one of two Dallas nurses who contracted the Ebola virus while caring for Thomas Duncan, the first patient to be diagnosed with Ebola in the United States.
According to medical records, Vinson attended to Duncan on September 30, the day that he tested positive for the Ebola virus. She wore a hazardous materials suit and face shield, but Duncan's bodily fluids were too infectious at the time.
The bridal shop, Coming Attractions Bridal & Formal, said it was forced to close after the nurse — who contracted the virus at Presbyterian Hospital in 2014 — visited the store shortly before she was diagnosed.
And although the shop closed and was thoroughly cleaned, the stigma surrounding the virus prevented the shop from recovering. It eventually closed for good.
Former owner Anna Younker said her shop had become known as the Ebola store. She told the Akron Beacon Journal in a 2015 interview that the temporary closure and canceled orders cost the store at least $100,000, and it wasn't covered by her insurance because it excluded viral illnesses.
The lawsuit alleges the hospital was negligent in allowing their employees to become infected.
The hearing is scheduled for Nov. 7.
