Deal settles lawsuit over care of missing Ancaster woman

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A settlement has been reached in the multi-million dollar lawsuit against three Hamilton doctors.

The lawsuit was filed by Donna Molnar, 62, who was found alive three days after being buried under two feet of snow.

Evidence in the five week trial showed the Ancaster mother and high school secretary had been suffering from depression and had attempted to take her own life at least three times. Just days before the December 19th incident she had been brought into St Joseph’s emergency ward after taking a large amount of pills. Molnar’s husband David testified he pleaded with physicians to admit his wife, but she was sent home.

Days later she again took an excessive amount of medication and wandered out into a field in the middle of a snow storm. She left suicide notes in her purse. Donna Molnar was found three days later by a search and rescue dog.

She was taken to hospital but eventually lost both arms and legs below the knees and suffered brain damage following a stroke. Her lawsuit claimed the hospital, its doctors and her own family physician were negligent in preventing her final suicide attempt.

Molnar did not want to go on camera but clearly was relieved with the settlement. She told CHCH News she now has enough money to have a personal assistant who can drive her to get groceries, and allow her to have some sense of independence that will have a tremendous impact on her life and that of her family.