BRIDGEPORT – The estate of a North Haven man who was a UConn dental student has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Bridgeport Hospital, Yale New Haven Health and the Northeast Medical Group regarding his death in 2024.
Conor James Hylton, 26, of North Haven, died suddenly on Aug. 15, 2024, after being admitted to Bridgeport Hospital Milford Campus on Aug. 14, 2024, for pancreatitis, dehydration, metabolic acidosis and alcohol withdrawal, according to the lawsuit filed in Bridgeport Superior Court on March 2, 2026. William Hylton, Conor’s father and administrator of younger Hylton’s estate filed the lawsuit against the three parties claiming they were negligent in the care of Conor.
The estate is represented by the Faxon Law Group of New Haven. The defendants, who filed an appearance on April 2, are represented by Wiggin & Dana LLP of New Haven.
Specifically, the suit charges Dr. Frances Denu, nurses, physician assistants and other physicians and staff failed to adequately and properly evaluate, diagnose, treat, monitor and supervise Conor. It also claims the team responsible for Conor failed to properly communicate about his well-being and violated hospital policy by not notifying Conor’s next of kin about his transfer to ICU and his change in status.
The suit goes on to describe what happened to Conor on the morning of his death.
“At approximately 4:30 a.m., Mr. Hylton slid down in bed, his eyes rolled back and he became unresponsive and exhibited seizure-like activity, vomited, became bradycardic and code was called,” the suit states. “He was intubated, but he could not be resuscitated, and he was pronounced dead.”
The medical records shows Dr. Denu attempted to resuscitate Conor and pronounce his death. But this was inaccurate as Dr. Denu did nothing and the death was pronounced by a health care provider via a tele-health screen.
Additionally, the suit goes on to state that the state Department of Health, in conjunction with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, investigated Conor’s care at Bridgeport Hospital Milford Campus and found the defendants violated “42 C.F.R. 42, Part 482” in connection with the care and treatment of Conor. They also found that the incident “exposed a culture of inattentiveness and substandard care” that resulted in Hylton’s death.
Conor was born in New Haven on Jan. 31, 1998, to William Hylton, DMD, and Betsy Leary Hylton, DMD.
After graduating from Notre Dame High School with honors, he attended the University of Connecticut for his undergraduate studies, and earned a double major, again, graduating with honors.
At the time of his death, Conor was fulfilling his lifelong dream of following in his parents’ footsteps as a student at UConn School of Dental Medicine.
