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Jackson nurse seeks $5 million over May emergency-room assault and alleged retaliation
Yanira Eguileor is suing Jackson Memorial Hospital and the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, alleging negligent security and retaliation after a patient attacked her. Jackson says it had public safety personnel assigned to the emergency room and separately accuses Eguileor of improperly accessing patient records, a claim she is contesting through due process.
A Jackson Memorial Hospital nurse is seeking $5 million in a lawsuit against the hospital system and the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office over a patient attack in May and what she alleges was retaliation afterward.
The suit, filed Oct. 27, accuses the defendants of negligent security and makes other claims, including that Jackson retaliated against nurse Yanira Eguileor after she spoke publicly about the incident.
Surveillance footage shows patient Wenyou Rubin striking Eguileor several times, knocking her to the ground. A security guard runs over moments later. Eguileor’s attorney, Michael Pizzi, said Rubin had a history of assaulting law enforcement and argued that staff and patients were left without adequate protection. Those are claims by the attorney; the lawsuit’s allegations have not been proven in court.
Pizzi said Eguileor was later transferred, denied access to the hospital’s computer system and publicly criticized by Jackson. Eguileor, who said she has worked as a nurse for 13 years, described the aftermath as traumatic. “Nurses and staff in general need to be safe,” she said.
Jackson Health System said the safety of patients, visitors and employees is a priority and described workplace violence as a growing national crisis. The system said four public safety specialists were assigned to the Jackson Memorial emergency room around the clock, including on the date of the attack, and that two off-duty sheriff’s deputies are on campus at all times. It also cited ongoing safety investments and coordination with law enforcement.
On the retaliation allegation, Jackson said it offered Eguileor support and accommodations after the incident. The system also alleged it later found that she had intentionally accessed and obtained patients’ protected health information without authorization for personal gain, and that she violated other policies. Jackson said she is receiving applicable due-process protections and is represented by her union as the matter proceeds. The allegation is the hospital’s account and has not been established in court.
Pizzi said Eguileor’s goal is to secure better protection for nurses and prevent similar incidents. The lawsuit places renewed attention on how hospitals protect staff and patients during unpredictable emergency-room encounters, while the competing allegations remain unresolved.