Family of Woman Bitten by Snake During Church Service Suing Hospital Where She Died

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http://www.abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=3853735&page=1

By The Associated Press
November 12, 2007 8:45:26 AM PST

The family of a woman bitten by a rattlesnake during a church service in southern Kentucky is suing a hospital and several of its employees, accusing them of ridiculing her religious beliefs rather than providing proper care.

Linda F. Long, 48, of London was bitten on the right cheek by a yellow timber rattler at the East London Holiness Church on Nov. 5, 2006. snip

A nurse met Long and those with her in the parking area outside the emergency room, according to the lawsuit. The nurse engaged Long and her family "in a lengthy and time-consuming series of questions" instead of immediately admitting the woman, the lawsuit states.

The suit also alleges that hospital employees "snickered and made derogatory comments" around Long's family about her religious beliefs and the circumstances of the bite. A doctor also failed to properly treat her reaction to the bite - including a drop in blood pressure and swelling in her neck, mouth and face - and failed to insert a breathing tube when she had trouble breathing.