Inset: Liam Hallissey (Spear Miller Funeral Home). Background: Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut where Liam Hallissey was allegedly evaluated before his death (Google Maps).
A Connecticut family has filed a lawsuit alleging that a 1-year-old boy was discharged from a hospital despite warning signs that pointed to sepsis, and died less than a day later.
According to the complaint, Liam Hallissey was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital in December 2025 at the direction of his pediatrician. His parents claim the physician assistant who assessed him failed to act on symptoms they say were consistent with a serious infection, including tachycardia, lethargy, and the pediatrician’s expressed concern.
The lawsuit says Liam’s pediatrician had reported that the child had a 102-degree fever and was showing several troubling symptoms, including lethargy, hypotonia, a drooping appearance, acute illness, and a positive Influenza A test.
Hospital records cited in the complaint state that Liam’s vital signs were taken at about 4:39 p.m. Upon arrival, he had a temperature of 99.5 degrees and an elevated heart rate of 169. A little more than an hour later, at 5:58 p.m., the physician assistant examined him and documented that he was “well appearing” and that there was “no concern for bacterial illness, sepsis, or bacteremia,” according to the lawsuit.
The complaint alleges that Liam was discharged just 21 minutes after that evaluation. His parents argue that, aside from a repeat nasal swab, hospital staff did not carry out a broader medical work-up, such as repeating his vital signs, ordering lab tests or imaging, or keeping him for observation.
By the next morning, the lawsuit says, the situation had turned catastrophic. Liam’s mother found him in his crib “limp, cyanotic and not breathing,” then called 911 and began CPR until emergency responders arrived.
“Upon the arrival of EMS personnel, the minor decedent was cold, pale, and cyanotic,” the complaint says, referring to a condition in which someone’s skin turns blue due to lack of oxygen. “EMS personnel attempted defibrillation, chest compressions, and ventilation and transported the minor decedent to St. Vincent’s Medical Center.”
Shortly after arriving at the emergency room, medical staff intubated Liam and he received CPR, defibrillation, and multiple rounds of epinephrine. He was pronounced dead less than 20 minutes after arriving.
“The pathologist who performed the minor decedent’s autopsy concluded that the cause of death was septic complications of acute influenza A and rhinovirus respiratory infections,” the complaint says.
Liam’s parents allege that his death was the result of “carelessness and negligence” caused by the hospital and its staff. Yale New Haven Hospital has released a statement in response to their lawsuit, saying:
Yale New Haven Hospital is aware of this lawsuit and extends our deepest condolences to the family for the loss of their child. This is a heartbreaking situation, and our thoughts are with all those who loved and cared for him. We remain deeply committed to providing safe, compassionate and high-quality care to every patient and family we serve. Because this matter is currently in litigation, we are unable to comment on the specific allegations.
The family’s lawyer, Jennifer L. Amdur, told local ABC affiliate WTNH that Liam was the victim of “a system in which patients and families are too often rushed through the hospital without the safeguards they deserve.”
“Liam was more than a patient, he was a cherished son and brother whose life mattered deeply to his family,” Amdur said. “The loss they have endured is unimaginable, and they continue to live with the consequences of failures that should never have occurred.”
