Leslie Deardoff, now 61, has filed a lawsuit against Stamford Hospital in Connecticut after she blinded herself in both eyes with a plastic fork during a mental health crisis. Deardoff was admitted to the hospital's psychiatric unit in January 2022 following a medication overdose, which was exacerbated by severe mental health issues stemming from menopause. On January 13, she repeatedly stabbed her eyes with the fork provided by staff during a meal. The lawsuit claims that hospital staff failed to monitor her condition adequately, despite prior indications of her distress, such as blood around her face and withdrawn behavior. Deardoff's lawyers argue that the hospital's negligence and a culture of carelessness led to her permanent blindness. An investigation by the Connecticut Department of Public Health corroborated claims of inadequate monitoring and failure to track eating utensils. The case is set to go to trial in June 2025 after a failed settlement offer of $15 million from the hospital.