Chicago Rehab Workers Accused Of Letting Patient Burn To Death

The staff at a rehab clinic in Chicago was negligent when a patient died from a fire that started on his shirt, the man's sister is alleging in a lawsuit. The incident occurred two years ago when the wheelchair-bound Michael Lewis was on the verge of checking out of the Lake Shore HealthCare and Rehabilitation Centre.

But his shirt caught on fire from his pocket lighter and the staff failed to intervene before he perished in the flame. (Footage from the security video can be seen below.) Representatives from the facility are not making comments to the media. They told the local CBS affiliate, which first broke the story, they're being confined by privacy laws.

Speaking to the CBS affiliate, Lewis's sister, Lisa Couch, made clear her disgust. "He sustained burns like from mid-thigh up to the eyebrows," she said. "The horror, to think my brother is on fire and no one is there?"