Family of Logan Dunne suing Carle Health

By NICK VLAHOS
For The Weekly Post

PEORIA – A Peoria hospital neglected a Brimfield man who disappeared from the facility and was missing for five months before he was found dead, a lawsuit claims.

The family of Logan Dunne is seeking at least $50,000 in damages from Carle Health Methodist Hospital, according to a lawsuit filed May 27 in Peoria County Circuit Court. That’s almost two years to the day Dunne was admitted involuntarily to Methodist – May 29, 2023.

Dunne was being treated for mental-health issues and for Type 1 diabetes. The lawsuit asserts Methodist employees knew Dunne wasn’t taking his medications and knowingly transferred him May 31 from a secured psychiatric floor to an unsecured floor for his diabetes treatment.

On June 2, while waiting to be transferred back to the psychiatric floor, Dunne dressed and left the hospital, despite Methodist employees knowing he was not allowed to leave, according to the lawsuit. That was the last day Dunne was seen alive.

A search that attracted national attention ended Nov. 12, when a hunter found Dunne’s remains in woods in Limestone Township. Dunne family members said they did not learn he left the hospital until June 5.
The lawsuit alleges at least 18 instances of negligence by Methodist.

“As a direct and proximate result of one or more of the aforementioned negligent acts and/or omissions, Logan suffered severe and debilitating physical, emotional and psychiatric injuries … resulting in physical pain and suffering, emotional and psychiatric distress … and ultimately (his) death,” the lawsuit stated.
Dunne’s father, Brian Dunne, is plaintiff and administrator of his son’s estate. Listed as potential defendants are four physicians – Thomas Boyd, Jose Kuzhively, Andrew Lancia and Riaz Shah – and Trillium Place, a Carle-affiliated behavioral-health facility.

“This has been a long process and I wouldn’t wish this on anybody,” Brian Dunne told WMBD-TV of Peoria. “This is Mental Health Awareness Month, so our goal is accountability, but it is also to bring awareness to the stigma that is related to mental-health disease.”

Carle Health is unable to comment on pending litigation, according to spokesman Harry Croton.
“We are committed to the highest quality of care for all patients and take the trust put in our services seriously,” he stated in an email.

The plaintiff’s attorneys are Jesse Placher of Libertyville and Patrick Jennetten of Peoria. The elder Dunne is demanding a jury trial.

Logan Dunne worked as a cardiac sonographer for Peoria-based OSF HealthCare. Hundreds of volunteers searched for him throughout the summer and fall of 2023. The Peoria County Sheriff’s Office and Peoria Police Department assisted. Drones and dogs were used in the search.