The trial could be the next step in a grieving Quebec woman's long journey to seek justice for her partner, whose hospital stay last year ultimately led to his death.
Normand Meunier, a 66-year-old quadriplegic, sought medical assistance in dying (MAID) in 2024 after spending several days on a stretcher in the emergency department of St. Jerome's Hospital. His severe bedsores worsened in hospital.
At a news conference Wednesday, Patrick Martin-Menard, the lawyer for Meunier's wife, Sylvie Brosseau, announced he plans to file a lawsuit on behalf of the Meunier family for damages.
Sylvie Brosseau displays a photo of herself and her husband at the courthouse in Montreal on Thursday, May 15, 2025. Brosseau's late partner Norman Meunier sought medical attention after dying last year after suffering bedsores while staying at Saint-Jerome Hospital.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christine Muschi
He is also considering filing a class-action lawsuit on behalf of other patients who developed bedsores at a Quebec hospital because of a lack of access to proper supplies.
“Or due to the negligence of medical or nursing personnel in applying the standards of care for the treatment and prevention of pressure ulcers,” he explained.
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He noted that what happened to Meunier is a common problem across the province and that “dozens of people have contacted us and I think this is really the tip of the iceberg.”
“Pressure ulcers have long been a real blind spot in many healthcare settings, where the risks do not seem to be adequately understood.”
This week's coroner's report in Meunier's case points to several deficiencies, including incomplete risk assessment, irregular mobilization, lack of training and a failure to tailor medical care for spinal cord injuries.
Brosseau is pleased with the message, but holds the hospital responsible.
“Nobody listened to us and we were completely ignored (by hospital staff),” she complained.
She welcomes the report's 31 recommendations and believes the entire health system needs an overhaul.
“Your entire system is inadequate to resolve such cases,” she emphasized.
Ariane Gauthier Tremblay, a spinal cord and movement specialist in Quebec, agrees that urgent changes are needed.
“Preventing pressure ulcers does not require a high level of expertise,” she says. “This is basic nursing practice.”
The Meunier family and legal team want the coroner's recommendations to be implemented as quickly as possible in the hope that no one else suffers the same fate.
“Many people are in this situation,” Martin-Menard noted, “and many people suffer greatly because of it.”
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