SAN DIEGO, July 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A San Diego County jury awarded $15.5 million to the family of a hotel guest, finding Hyatt Hotels Corporation responsible for her wrongful death after hotel employees failed to conduct a timely wellness check when she missed her scheduled checkout.
Cindy Gonzalez, a 43-year-old business traveler and diabetic, suffered a medical emergency while staying alone at a San Diego Hyatt hotel in 2022. The verdict follows a two week trial for the Gonzalez family that demonstrated how Hyatt employees failed to follow the hotel’s own safety and security procedures that prevented Gonzalez from receiving timely treatment after a medical emergency.
Evidence presented at trial by Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP partners Bruce Broillet and Ivan Puchalt showed Gonzalez fell into a diabetic coma after developing diabetic ketoacidosis and was unconscious between the two beds in her hotel room. Although she failed to check out as scheduled, hotel staff extended her reservation without authorization instead of following established procedures that called for additional guest contact and a security wellness check. Hotel staff did not discover Gonzalez until the following day after concerned family members filed a missing persons report with law enforcement. Although she was rushed to the hospital, Gonzalez later died.
The plaintiffs argued that had Hyatt employees followed their own policies and conducted a timely welfare check, Gonzalez would have received life-saving medical attention.
“This verdict is an important measure of justice for Cindy’s family, who have endured an unimaginable loss,” said Bruce Broillet, lead trial counsel for the plaintiffs. “It is the family’s hope and ours that all hotels will take notice and follow industry standards regarding guest wellness to avoid this ever happening to anybody else again.”
During the trial, Hyatt argued that employees acted appropriately under company policy, citing Gonzalez’s “Do Not Disturb” sign, the delivery of room service the night before, and the absence of knowledge about her diabetes. The jury ultimately rejected those arguments, finding Hyatt accountable for failing to respond appropriately after Gonzalez missed checkout and could not be reached.
The lawsuit also raised concerns about employee training and whether hotel staff understood and consistently implemented Hyatt’s own wellness check procedures.
“This case extends well beyond one family’s tragic loss,” said Ivan Puchalt, partner at Greene Broillet & Wheeler and co-lead trial attorney for the plaintiffs. “Hotels have a responsibility to follow their own safety procedures, and we hope this case leads to stronger wellness check practices, improved emergency response protocols, and safer experiences for hotel guests everywhere.”
The plaintiffs included Gonzalez’s son, Jose Ramirez, her mother, Sanjuana Gonzalez, and the co-administrators of her estate, Angela Gonzalez and Harold Dean Britt Jr.
Greene Broillet & Wheeler represented the family alongside co-counsel Ludd & Ludd.
About Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP
Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP is one of California’s premier plaintiff trial firms, representing individuals and families in catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, and complex civil litigation. For decades, the firm has obtained landmark verdicts and settlements while advocating for safer practices and greater corporate accountability.
Media Contact: Gina Fernandes | Juris Productions, Gina@jurisproductions.com
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