A recent federal court filing outlines serious allegations by a former hospital patient who claims he was unlawfully detained and denied appropriate medical care following a traumatic car accident that resulted in bilateral lower limb amputations. The lawsuit raises questions about the treatment of patients with disabilities and the responsibilities of healthcare providers under state and federal law.
The complaint was filed by Cody Perkins in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on March 21, 2026. The named defendants are Advocate Health, Inc., Advocate Health, LLC—both with principal places of business in North Carolina—and Navicent Health, Inc., based in Macon, Georgia.
According to the filing, Perkins was admitted to Atrium Health Navicent in Macon on March 6, 2026 after surviving a catastrophic automobile accident. At age twenty-one at the time (turning twenty-two two days later), Perkins underwent emergency surgery resulting in bilateral lower limb amputations. The complaint alleges that hospital staff did not inform him about the extent of his injuries upon waking from surgery. It further states that while he was unconscious on March 6th, staff documented that he provided consent for medical procedures without notifying any family members; his family only learned about his condition seven days later through a news article.
The lawsuit describes an incident where Michael Lyles allegedly entered Perkins’ room while he slept and called police officers to forcibly change his gown after Perkins refused treatment due to lack of explanation regarding hospital policy. On or around March 10th, Perkins was reportedly placed under psychiatric hold as described by charge nurse Lynn Crews as hospital policy. Two law enforcement officers then used physical force against him during a gown change—a measure the complaint calls excessive and unreasonable.
Despite being cleared as mentally stable by an evaluating clinician on March 16th, the suit alleges that defendants continued to detain Perkins without clinical justification under what they described as a high-risk suicide watch policy rather than through formal involuntary treatment procedures required by Georgia law. Efforts by Perkins’ counsel to request transfer to private rehabilitation facilities were met with resistance; his attorney was arrested by hospital police while visiting him and requesting medical records. Attempts to involve local law enforcement were unsuccessful due to jurisdictional issues arising from the facility’s private police force.
Perkins’ legal team asserts that all requirements for transfer under Georgia law were met: private facilities were ready to accept him; proof of payment and insurance coverage could be provided; yet an on-call trauma physician refused both approval for transfer and written reasoning for denial. According to the complaint, internal administrative processes—including use of Trauma Level I designation—were cited as reasons for delaying or denying transfer despite medical stability.
Additional allegations include lack of basic hygiene (no bathing or sheet changes for extended periods), delayed disclosure about surgical interventions such as placement of an iron rod in his femur (which is material for future prosthetic eligibility), inadequate pain management when staples caused severe pain in his leg, and delays or denials in providing complete unredacted medical records despite urgent requests accompanied by proper authorization forms.
The complaint brings multiple counts against all defendants: violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for excluding Perkins from specialized rehabilitation services; violation of the Rehabilitation Act due to exclusion from federally funded programs; denial of equal access to medical information; false imprisonment under Georgia law; violation of statutory patient transfer rights; assault and battery stemming from use of force during hospitalization; negligence related to wound care standards; and deceptive trade practices concerning corporate structure and representation regarding available services.
Perkins seeks several forms of relief including emergency preliminary injunctions requiring immediate facilitation of his transfer to a private rehabilitation facility and release or review access to his full medical records. He also asks for compensatory damages exceeding seventy-five thousand dollars covering pain and suffering, emotional distress, increased infection risk due to improper wound care or lack thereof, loss related to prosthetic eligibility because of delayed rehabilitation opportunities, additional expenses associated with ongoing care needs, punitive damages based on alleged willful misconduct or malice by defendants’ staff or policies—as well as attorneys’ fees pursuant to relevant federal statutes.
The suit requests declaratory judgments confirming violations relating to statutory transfer rights, access to records under health privacy laws (HIPAA), ADA protections for individuals with disabilities requiring integrated settings suited for their needs rather than discharge home without support services—and findings regarding falsification or alteration of medical records intended to justify continued detention post-clearance.
Attorney Christopher Brock represents Cody Perkins in this action (Case No. 1:26-cv-01547-SDG). The case awaits further proceedings before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
Source: 126cv01547_Cody_Perkins_v_Advocate_Health_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Georgia.pdf
