After winning a $2.4 million wrongful termination lawsuit, a former California hospital employee—now homeless and severely mentally ill—has gone missing, leaving even his attorney unable to locate him.
Daniel Ridge began working part-time in Highland Hospital's morgue in 2006 and took on increasingly demanding responsibilities after staffing shortages left him covering full-time hours, East Bay Times reported. In 2015, facing mental and physical health decline from stress and exposure to chemicals used in the morgue, Ridge went on medical leave.
Diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety and depression, he entered an intensive outpatient program. But when he returned with a doctor's note later that year, Ridge was escorted out of the hospital and ultimately terminated, triggering a mental health spiral that led to estrangement from his family and homelessness.
Following Ridge's termination, his attorney Lawrance Bohm filed a lawsuit in 2016 against Alameda Health System for retaliation and violations of the California Family Rights Act. The case stretched on for eight years, with Ridge deemed too mentally unwell to testify in person.
In March, a jury awarded Ridge $2.4 million in damages—including compensation for past and future suffering. Alameda Health System disputes the verdict and is appealing, though Ridge's legal team remains confident in their case.
Despite the legal win, Ridge has vanished. His attorney says Ridge's condition has deteriorated so severely due to untreated PTSD that he may never know about or benefit from the outcome.
A special needs trust has been set up to potentially assist Ridge's young son, with hopes of initiating child support payments from the judgment. Bohm says his team will continue trying to locate Ridge and ensure he receives help.
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