LOXAHATCHEE, Fla. — The attorney for a nurse who was brutally attacked at HCA Florida Palms West Hospital last month is officially petitioning the hospital for documents and evidence related to the attack.
Deputies said the injured nurse, Leelamma Lal, was beaten so badly by the patient, Stephen Scantlebury, that "essentially every bone" was broken in her face.
The "Petition for Pure Bill of Discovery," filed Thursday morning in Palm Beach County court, is a legal document that requests the court to allow Lal and her attorney to obtain certain documents and evidence related to the Feb 18 attack.
In the petition, attorney Karen Terry is asking for multiple pieces of evidence, including:
- Any and all videos/photographs of Scantlebury during his time at Palms West
- Copies of Scantlebury’s entire medical record from the hospital
- Recordings of calls on Feb. 17-18, if any, that made to any facility that accepts Baker Act patients
- Incident report(s) involving the incident
- All policies and procedures in effect in February 2025 that deal with the admission, treatment and safety protocol involving a Baker Act patient
"Respondent [HCA Florida Palms West] provided insufficient security, IF ANY, to Petitioner [Lal] or to Scantlebury. Respondent made no efforts to transfer Scantlebury to a Baker Act facility," the petition alleges.
Read the full petition below:
In the petition, Terry also requests an accelerated hearing on the matter, and is asking for an order that prevents any changes, transfers or destruction of relevant evidence related to the case.
The petition also notes that the law firm anticipates filing claims against HCA Florida Palms West for the horrific injuries that the nurse sustained.
Terry also expressed that if the petition is not granted, there could be a risk of losing critical evidence, which could result in irreparable harm.
Because there is an ongoing criminal investigation, Terry said her firm might not have access to certain medical records.
Last Wednesday, a risk protection order was filed in Scantlebury's case, meaning he will not have access to firearms for at least the next two weeks. A motion on whether to extend that order is scheduled for March 11.
Scantlebury remains in jail. He pleaded not guilty to a second-degree attempted murder charge with a hate crime enhancement for allegedly shouting racial slurs while beating Lal.
A friend of Lal's family set up a fundraiser to help her as she recovers. The organizer shared plans to attend Thursday's hearing as a show of support for the nurse and her family.
Lal remains hospitalized in stable condition and is scheduled to have another surgery on Sunday.
