$1.3 million Verdict against California Nursing Home
82 year old Elaine Stinson was suffering the effects of Alzheimer’s disease as well as recovering from hip surgery. Her 92 year old husband, Alvin, couldn't care for her so he placed her in Leisure Palms, a small six bed facility in Fallbrook, California.
About three months later, on one of his regular visits to see his wife, Alvin found his wife unresponsive. He immediately called 911 and she was taken to the hospital. She was found to have bruising on her head and broken ribs, as well as punctured lung.
Eventually, after much effort, Alvin found out that Elaine had fallen the night before, but the nursing home decided that all she required was to be put back in bed. No one called her family nor was any doctor called in to check on her after the fall.
It took nearly a year for Elaine to recover from her fall. Although he was 92 years old, Alvin was no pushover when it came to Elaine. Alvin went to court because of how the nursing home had treated his sweetheart. After a long battle, the jury members determined that Elaine's medical bills and the harm to her should be valued at $1.3 million. Sadly, Alvin did not live to see justice done.
South Carolina attorney Michael Jeffcoat concentrates his elder law practice in cases involving nursing home residents in these situations:
(1) infections,
(2) pressure sores / bed sores / decubitus ulcers,
(3) falls,
(4) broken bones,
(5) head injuries,
(6) sexual abuse,
(7) malnutrition,
(8) dehydration,
(9) false charting,
(10) medication errors,
(11) elopement (wandering off),
(12) unexplained bruising and cuts,
(13) medical neglect,
(14) malnutrition / dehydration / sudden weight loss,
(15) fraudulent billing, and
(16) wrongful, sudden, or unexplained death.
