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 tragic case has emerged from Connecticut, where a 1-year-old boy named Liam Hallissey passed away after being sent home from a hospital without adequate attention to his symptoms. A lawsuit filed by his parents claims that a physician assistant at Yale New Haven Hospital failed to recognize signs indicative of sepsis during a December 2025 visit.
According to the legal complaint, the physician assistant ignored Liam’s symptoms, which included tachycardia, lethargy, and concerns raised by his pediatrician. These symptoms prompted his pediatrician to recommend he be taken to the hospital, where the boy’s condition was apparently not given the necessary scrutiny.
The complaint details that Liam’s pediatrician had reported a fever of 102 degrees Fahrenheit, alongside symptoms such as lethargy, hypotonia, a droopy appearance, acute illness, and a positive test for Influenza A.
Upon his arrival at the hospital, Liam’s vital signs were recorded at approximately 4:39 p.m. His temperature was noted at 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit, and he had an elevated heart rate of 169 beats per minute. The evaluation by the physician assistant took place about an hour later at 5:58 p.m., where she reportedly deemed him “well appearing” and found “no concern for bacterial illness, sepsis, or bacteremia,” according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit further alleges that “the patient was discharged 21 minutes after his medical evaluation.” It also criticizes the hospital staff for not conducting a more comprehensive examination, which should have included repeated vital signs checks, laboratory tests, imaging, or continued observation, beyond a repeat nasal swab.
The following morning, Liam’s mother found her son “limp, cyanotic and not breathing in his crib” and immediately called 911. She initiated CPR until first 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.”