CHAPTER 429
An Act to provide for the relief of the family of Mattie C. Bennett,

deceased.
(H 499]
Approved March 29, 1958

Whereas, Mattie Corinne Bennett, age 47, of Richmond, Virginia, was
a paying patient at the Medical College of Virginia Hospital on December
19, 1956, and had been a patient at said hospital since December 10, 1956,
to receive medical treatment for a prepyloric ulcer; and .

Whereas, it is alleged that, while she was being operated on for this
condition, she was mistakenly given six transfusions of RH positive blood,
although she had RH negative blood, and that these transfusions of the
wrong type of blood caused hemorrhaging and that, as a result, Mrs.
Bennett died on December 19, 1956; and

Whereas, Mrs. Bennett is survived by her husband, Glenn Hurley
Bennett, and four daughters, who have no way in law or equity to proceed
against the Medical College of Virginia Hospital to secure adequate com-
pense for their loss, since the hospital is an instrumentality of the

tate; now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

That there is hereby appropriated from the general fund of the State
Treasury the sum of Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00), such payment
to be made by the State Treasurer, on warrant of the Comptroller, issued
as provided by law, to compensate for the alleged wrongful death of
Mattie C. Bennett, and upon the following conditions:

(a) That such amount be accepted in full, complete and final settle-
ment of all liability, actions, or causes of actions, which can or may be
asserted against the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Medical College of
Virginia Hospital, and those persons alleged to be responsible for the
unlawful death of Mattie Corinne Bennett, by the personal representative
or any other person.

(b) That such settlement be approved in an appropriate action in-
stituted in the Hustings Court of the City of Richmond, Part II, by the
personal representative of the decedent’s estate.

(c) That out of the sum appropriated, as aforesaid, the Court direct
payment by the personal representative of the decedent’s estate of all
proper court costs, costs of administration and payment of all unpaid
reasonable and proper medical, hospital, funeral and other expenses con-
tracted incident to the death of the decedent.

(d) That the Court direct, as provided by statute, in what proportions
the residue of the sum aforesaid shall be distributed by the personal repre-
sentative of the decedent’s estate to the surviving husband and children
of the decedent, and in determining the shares of the individual dis-
tributees, the Court give due consideration to all amounts that may have
been advanced ‘by any such distributees to defray expenses incident to the
illness or death of the decedent.