Articles Posted in Nursing Home Negligence

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Mary Ritter was a nursing home resident. She had a history of kidney disease and a left leg amputation.  During a transfer at the nursing home, she was dropped to the floor. She suffered a traumatic femur fracture.

She then developed necrotic pressure ulcers, which led to a decline in her condition and ultimately was a cause of her death. She was just 60 years old at the time and was survived by her two adult children.

The Ritter estate and family sued the nursing home and several of its providers alleging nursing home malpractice and wrongful death.  After the parties agreed to a confidential settlement, the plaintiffs filed a petition with the Indiana Patient Compensation Fund. Before trial, the parties settled for $205,200.

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Ms. Doe, 80, used a wheelchair and resided in a nursing home. While transporting Doe to her doctor’s appointment, a driver for Roe Medical Transport Co. chose not to secure her wheelchair into the van’s locking mechanism. When the driver stopped abruptly, Doe was thrown into the console.  She suffered a fractured femur.  Doe required an open reduction and internal fixation surgery.

Doe claimed that the transport company’s driver had negligently chosen not to secure the wheelchair. The defense contended that the van’s lessor was liable for its defective locking mechanism.

Before trial, the parties settled this case for $237,500.

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Mary Benton, 98, lived at the Agape Senior Assisted Living Facility. She suffered from mild dementia that required assistance with her day-to-day activities.

During her time at the assisted living facility, her condition deteriorated, and she was hospitalized for dehydration, infections and low blood pressure.  In addition, she fell on two occasions, the last of which resulted in a broken hip.

Benton was not a candidate for surgery and was later transferred to her friend’s home where she unfortunately passed away. She was survived by her son.

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Elaine Jenkins was admitted to the transitional care unit of Vibra Hospital of Charleston. While she was there, she suffered from debilitating injuries, which led to her permanent decline in her health.

Jenkins’s estate sued Vibra Hospital and its administrator, alleging negligence, negligence per se, breach of contract, fraud and misrepresentation, violation of the South Carolina Unfair Trade Practices Act, wrongful death and survivorship.

The Jenkins estate also argued that among other things, the defendants chose not to conduct adequate assessments, respond to changes in Jenkins’s mental status, and also failed to notify her family members after she suffered a number of different incidents at this facility.

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Ms. Doe, 56, was a nursing home resident who suffered from multiple sclerosis and used a wheelchair. When she was loaded onto a medical transport van that was parked on an incline, she was not fully secured to the wheelchair. She slid from the wheelchair and suffered bilateral leg fractures as a result of this fall. The injuries necessitated a cast and bracing.

In addition, she required hospitalization and underwent a blood transfusion and oxygen supplementation. Despite this care and treatment, her condition worsened. She died 17 days after this incident.

The lawsuit alleged wrongful death and failure to secure Ms. Doe into her wheelchair. The defendant argued that Ms. Doe had died of unrelated causes.

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Norma Jay Drye, a 65-year-old woman who suffered from dementia and other health problems, lived at Hillcrest Center Nursing Home. One morning, a nursing home assistant attempted to transfer her from a bed to a chair using a sit-to-stand Hoyer lift.

Drye dropped to the floor during the transfer and suffered bilateral femur fractures. She was transferred to a hospital where she was also diagnosed as having multiple pressure sores.

After Drye was returned to the nursing home, she remained bed bound. This led to the worsening of her pressure sores. She developed infection and gangrene, required a partial left leg amputation and died approximately one week later. She was survived by her adult daughter.

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Thelma Brown, 90, was suffering from dementia and required the use of a wheelchair. While a resident at Brookdale Charlestown Nursing Home, she suffered multiple falls and developed a urinary tract infection that led to sepsis and ultimately caused her death. She was survived by her adult daughter.

Brown’s daughter, on her behalf, sued the nursing home’s owner alleging that it chose not to properly monitor her mother’s well-being, provide sufficient staff in training, and modify her care plan when her health deteriorated.

The defendant denied the allegations and maintained that Brown’s injuries came from her poor medical condition and that her injuries were not a cause of her death.

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A nursing home resident, Concetta DeMarco, was seated in a wheelchair in a transport vehicle driven by an agent of Lifeline Medical Services Inc.

During the trip, the van suddenly stopped, causing the wheelchair to flip over backward. DeMarco, 68, hit her head and suffered bilateral subdural hematomas, which required surgery.

DeMarco subsequently developed a seizure disorder, which complicated her recovery. Unfortunately, she died approximately one year after this incident. She was survived by her two children.

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The plaintiff-respondent Melanie Arace, as personal representative and successor in interest for Grace R. Miller and Trustee of the Grace R. Miller Trust of May 8, 2002, filed a complaint against Medico Investments LLC, which is a residential care facility owner.

The Melanie Arace lawsuit alleged that Medico or its employee, Elizabeth Colon, engaged in multiple acts of elder abuse of Miller.

The jury signed a verdict in favor of Melanie Arace for Grace R. Miller, which included an award of damages, attorney’s fees and costs.

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Nicholas Zilocchi was admitted to the Garden Spring Center Nursing Home after undergoing a leg amputation. At the time of his admission, it was recorded that he had skin tears and wounds, and he was anxious and agitated about these injuries.

Over the next few days, Zilocchi was diagnosed as having additional bed sores including one on his right heel that could not be staged. He was later admitted to a hospital for treatment of septic shock, respiratory failure and necrotic skin wounds that included his right heel. Despite the treatment that he received at this hospital, he died.

Zilocchi’s adult daughter, on behalf of the estate, sued the nursing home’s owners alleging that they chose not to treat his existing pressure ulcers and skin wounds and prevent new bed sores from developing. The lawsuit alleged that the defendants had decided not to provide basic hygiene and health care to while he was a resident at this nursing home.

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