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A Las Vegas mother says she believed her son had died for about three days after Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center emailed that it could not release his medical records because he was a “deceased patient.” The statement appeared in an email responding to a records request—not in an in-person death notification. The account comes from a civil complaint described in news reports; the hospital disputes that the allegations fully reflect the circumstances, and the case is pending.
What the lawsuit says happened
Geoffrey Garbowski had received treatment at Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center in January 2024, according to the complaint as described by Law&Crime and the Las Vegas Review-Journal. On Nov. 1, 2024, his mother, Marlene Garbowski, contacted the hospital to request his records for a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) application.
The complaint says the hospital replied by email on Nov. 5 that it could not release the records because Geoffrey was a “deceased patient.” It alleges that this was false. The complaint states: “This statement was false.” It also says: “Geoffrey was, and remains, alive.” Both statements are allegations in the complaint, not findings by a court.
Marlene Garbowski alleges she did not learn the email was wrong until three days later and believed her son had died during that time. The complaint says she was unable to function and took a prescription anti-anxiety medicine she had not previously needed. Those effects are her alleged experience; the reports do not establish them as independent medical findings.
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How the error was reportedly acknowledged
Weeks after the email, a hospital complaint manager reportedly contacted Garbowski, acknowledged an error and apologized. The complaint says the manager described the incident as a “learning tool.” That characterization is the complaint’s account of the conversation, not a separate public statement from the manager.
What Southern Hills Hospital says
In a statement reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal and The Independent, Southern Hills said it was “sympathetic to the concerns raised by this situation.” The hospital said its review indicated “that an error occurred in a process handled by a third-party vendor,” while also saying “the allegations do not fully reflect the circumstances.” It added that it could not comment further because the matter is in pending litigation.
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The reports do not establish how the deceased status entered the process, what the vendor did, whether the email affected the SSI application or benefits, or which party may be legally responsible. The hospital’s statement identifies a vendor-handled process as part of its review, but does not resolve those questions.
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The reported complaint was filed Sept. 30, 2026, in Clark County District Court. It asserts negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress. These are claims, not a court’s conclusions; the reports available for this account do not establish the case’s later status or outcome.
Steven Burris, an attorney for Garbowski, told the Review-Journal: “The ultimate truth of what is alleged will be decided by a judge and jury.” The allegations have not been established in court, and Southern Hills has said they do not fully reflect the circumstances.
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Sources
- Law&Crime, published Oct. 2, 2026.
- Las Vegas Review-Journal, published Sept. 30 and updated Oct. 1, 2026.
- The Independent, published Oct. 1, 2026.
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