I’m not a lawyer, nor have I ever played one on TV, but I’m pretty sure that not knowing who your patient is or MOST importantly their medical history absolutely could have resulted in the patients death or at least some unnecessary pain and suffering. Any two bit attorney could likely make a threatening enough case to get a settlement here.
While the doctors likely did the best they could, if they gave the patient any meds they were allergic to, or that had negative side effects when mixed with other medication they were taking, or they did not treat a known condition of the patient when their family was literally calling into the hospital trying to locate them only to be turned away by an administrator…
If it makes it past a judge and to a jury you know how it will go. Family crying about not being able to see their loved one before death and possibly even robbed from a chance to save their life, while a hospital administrator hides behind HIPAA and the lawyer pokes holes in their bullshit story that they can’t say whether or not they have a John Doe admitted. That’s likely an easy multimillion dollar verdict which is why they’d likely just settle.