Brian Sinclair's family reviewing ER death inquest report, says lawyer

The family of Brian Sinclair is reviewing a lengthy inquest report into the 45-year-old man's death in a Winnipeg hospital emergency ward in 2008.

Sinclair, an aboriginal double-amputee, was awaiting a minor procedure in the Health Sciences Centre's emergency ward in September 2008, but no one ever came to his assistance. He sat in his wheelchair for 34 hours until he was discovered dead.

An autopsy later determined Sinclair died of a treatable bladder infection.Police have already investigated the death but did not lay any criminal charges.

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Following about one year of hearings, provincial court Judge Tim Preston has released the inquest report to Sinclair's family and their lawyer, Vilko Zbogar.

Zbogar told CBC News that details of the report will be released to the public on Friday. In the meantime, Sinclair's family is going through the findings, he said.

"While they can't bring Mr. Sinclair back, they feel an obligation to at least try to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again," he said Thursday.

"From what they've seen so far, they haven't seen those kinds of things taking place."

Zbogar added that the past six years have been stressful, exhausting and heartbreaking for members of Sinclair's family.

"Having gone through so many legal steps to try to get some accountability, to try to get some changes, and being met with roadblocks over and over and over again, it's extremely frustrating for them," he said.

The inquest heard that nurses walked past Sinclair during his 34-hour wait and did nothing to help, even when he vomited on himself.

Aninternal report following his death found some staff thought Sinclair was drunk and was waiting for a ride or just needed a warm place to rest.