A tragic medical malpractice and wrongful death lawsuit has been filed, drawing attention to alleged negligence at a prominent healthcare facility. On February 17, 2026, Kelly Render Hammond initiated legal proceedings in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia against Piedmont Healthcare, Inc., doing business as Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, and several medical professionals associated with the hospital.
The case revolves around the untimely death of Joey Lynn Hammond in June 2024, following his treatment at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital. According to the complaint filed by Kelly Render Hammond, both individually as Joey’s surviving spouse and as administratrix of his estate, the defendants failed to properly diagnose and treat symptoms indicative of ileus or small bowel obstruction in Mr. Hammond. The plaintiff alleges that this oversight led to Mr. Hammond being allowed to consume solid food which he subsequently aspirated, resulting in his death. The complaint outlines a series of events starting from June 8, 2024, when Mr. Hammond was admitted with abdominal pain and underwent surgery performed by Dr. Bradley Battaglia.
In the days following his surgery, Mr. Hammond exhibited numerous alarming symptoms including reduced blood oxygen saturation and severe abdominal pain that were allegedly ignored by attending medical staff. The plaintiff claims that despite these clear signs of distress, necessary interventions such as placing Mr. Hammond on NPO (nothing by mouth) status or inserting a nasogastric tube were not undertaken by the responsible healthcare providers including Dr. Michael Thompson and others named in the suit: Khiyah Burton, R.N., Tarita Williams, R.N., and Emily LeCraw, P.A.
The lawsuit accuses these individuals and Piedmont Healthcare of failing to meet standard care protocols which directly contributed to Mr. Hammond’s suffering and eventual demise due to aspiration pneumonia—a condition documented in his discharge summary prepared posthumously by Defendant LeCraw.
Plaintiff Kelly Render Hammond is seeking substantial damages from the court under three counts: medical malpractice leading to personal injury and death; wrongful death; and negligence on part of Piedmont Hospital for inadequate credentialing and supervision of its staff. She demands compensation exceeding $75,000 for each count along with any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Representing Ms. Hammond are attorneys Michael J. Warshauer and William J. Atkins from Warshauer Woodward Atkins LLC based in Atlanta, Georgia. The case is presided over by Judge Thomas W. Thrash Jr., under Case ID 1:26-cv-00926-TWT.
Source: 126cv00926_Kelly_Render_v_Michael_Thompson_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Georgia.pdf
