The family of a retarded woman who drowned eight years ago after she was left alone in a bathtub at a state facility for the mentally handicapped in Park Forest will receive $425,000 under a settlement with the state, an attorney in the case said Tuesday.
Donna Hills was 22 and living at the Ludeman Developmental Center on Oct. 12, 1986, when a center employee put her in a bathtub and left her alone in the bathroom. Hills was severely retarded and required constant care, said Faustin A. Pipal Jr., the lawyer for the family.
“She was unconscious when the employee returned to the bathroom,” Pipal said.
Hills’ estate sued for her pain and suffering, while her mother, a sister and two brothers sued for their loss of companionship. The settlement, reached in May, must still be approved by the state Court of Claims, Pipal said.
