Family of New Brunswick man who died in hospital emergency room settles lawsuit

Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital is shown in Fredericton, on Thursday, July 14, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kevin Bissett

FREDERICTON — The family of a 78-year-old man who died after waiting seven hours for care in a Fredericton hospital has settled a lawsuit they filed against the province’s health authority.

Darrell Mesheau’s family filed a statement of claim against Horizon Health Network and two nurses, alleging that in 2022, Mesheau died because of “reckless and outrageous acts and omissions,” but the allegations were never tested in court.

The claim says Mesheau’s vital signs should have been checked every 30 minutes, but the document alleges that happened only twice during his seven-hour wait at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital.

In a statement of defence filed Feb. 3, Horizon and the nurses denied there was any negligence, saying they used reasonable skills and due care with Mesheau. The statement denies allegations that his medical history was not recorded and that he was assessed only twice.

“This marks the conclusion of a long and emotionally challenging journey filled with pain and difficult moments,” Mesheau’s son Ryan said in a statement released earlier this week. “We appreciate that the case has been resolved; although it does not necessarily bring contentment or closure.”

Court documents say the retired diplomat was taken by ambulance to the hospital on July 11, 2022, and about seven hours later a nurse found him in the waiting room, unresponsive and slumped in a wheelchair.

A coroner’s inquest in April 2024 found Mesheau died from heart failure. His death prompted a widespread public outcry and a shakeup of the province’s health-care leadership.

Blaine Higgs, who was premier at the time, replaced his health minister and the head of Horizon Health Network, which oversees the province’s anglophone hospitals.

On Friday, Ryan Mesheau said the terms of the settlement prevented him from providing any details about the legal agreement.

Meanwhile, he said he is committed to establishing a scholarship for nursing students at the University of New Brunswick.

“It’s something my father believed in -- education and helping others,” he said in an interview from Sonoma, Calif.

“I think it’s important that we can make something positive of what happened. It’ a fitting tribute to support the next generation of nurses and will serve as a reminder of how vital accountability and excellence are in health care.”

He described his father as a well-liked man who had plenty of friends and loved to travel.

“He was a people person,” Ryan Mesheau said, adding that his father’s diplomatic postings included terms in Israel and Italy.

“He loved being with people and family.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2025.

— By Michael MacDonald in Halifax