Jury rules against nursing home in wrongful death suit

With so many people living longer in New York, and everywhere else around the country, more and more the elderly are being placed in nursing homes and other care facilities. Most of the time, these facilities do their best to help give their tenants the best care possible. However, in some instances nursing homes and their employees fail to live up to the laws.

A nursing home has decided to settle a lawsuit against it after a court ruled that it pay just over $90 million dollars in a separate wrongful death suit from 2011. This latest suit was filed by the administratrix of the estate of a woman who died after living in the facility from 2007-2011. According to the complaint the nursing home staff failed to properly care for the woman including allowing her to get pressure sores and infections. There was also some evidence that woman may have fallen while in the home.

In the 2011 case the jury sided with the plaintiff and ordered the nursing home to pay more than $90 million in both compensatory and punitive damages combined. The nursing home has appealed the ruling. However, rather than go to court for this most recent case, the nursing home has reached a settlement, the terms of which were not disclosed.

It is important for anyone who has been mistreated or taken advantage of in a nursing home to know his or her rights. No one should have to worry about being neglected at any kind of care facility. If anyone feels that he or she has been the victim of nursing home negligence, it may be a good idea to contact a medical negligence attorney.

Source: West Virginia Record, “Nursing home settles wrongful death suit against it,” John O’Brien, July 10, 2013