Williamson v. Department of Mental Health

Defendant appeals as of right from the lower court’s judgment in plaintiffs’ favor. Plaintiffs prevailed in their wrongful death action brought against defendant pursuant to the building exception to governmental immunity. We affirm._

*754Plaintiffs’ decedent was a mildly retarded seventeen-year-old who suffered from uncontrolled and frequent epileptic seizures. Decedent was originally admitted to defendant’s Fairlawn Center in 1972 at the age of nine. The facility is for emotionally disturbed children and adolescents. Later, he was transferred to Meadowview Three, an inpatient ward for older…