Biloxi VA hospital diagnosed him with a cold. By morning, he was dead, lawsuit says
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- A veteran visited the Biloxi VA Medical Center with chest pains, fever and chills.
- Tests showed elevated cardiac enzymes; but he was diagnosed with a cold, anxiety
- Wife filed a federal lawsuit, alleging negligence after his fatal heart attack.
Rachael E. King’s 53-year-old husband died In October 2023 as she pulled into the parking lot to return him to the emergency room at the Veterans Affairs Biloxi VA Medical Center.
Christopher Lee King had been in the emergency room the previous day, according to a wrongful death lawsuit that Rachael King has filed against the VA Medical Center. On the first visit, King reported that he had been throwing up the previous night and was suffering from chest pains, fever and chills.
Although a lab report showed “critically elevated cardiac enzyme levels,” the lawsuit says, King was sent home after spending most of the day in the ER. He was diagnosed with a cold and anxiety attack, the lawsuit says.
He suffered “significant chest pain and vomiting” through the night, the lawsuit says. The next morning, he was pronounced dead in the ER.
Wrongful death case filed in federal court
King’s death certificate listed a heart attack as his cause of death. Rachael King, who listed an address in Cantonment, Florida, notified the VA of a claim in September 2025 through her attorney. She requested $1 million each for personal injury and wrongful death. After investigation, the VA responded to the attorney, Douglas Tynes of Pascagoula, with a claim denial.
The VA’s letter to Tynes, which is part of the court file, said Christopher King had been treated in the ER by a contract physician, not a VA employee. The VA said it was not liable for a negligence claim involving a contractor.
King’s lawsuit was subsequently filed in U.S. District Court in Gulfport, where Judge Sul Ozerden is presiding over the case.
“The objectively identifiable standard of care is to rule out a heart attack by the (use) of heart attack protocols when someone presents to the emergency room with features of a heart attack,” the lawsuit says. None of those protocols were performed on King, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit accuses the VA of medical negligence, failure to property train employees or agents, wrongful death and loss of companionship.
His wife seeks unspecified damages to compensate for her husband’s pain and suffering, emotional distress, and medical and funeral expenses. She also is seeking compensation for the value of her husband’s lost income and his companionship. In addition, she wants punitive damages, along with reimbursement for court costs and other expenses.
This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 1:55 PM.
