Proponents of reform in nursing home lawsuits are upset with a recent decision by a West Virginia County Circuit judge who decided to uphold a $90.5 million verdict in a nursing home negligence lawsuit as appropriate, thus denying a request for a new trial. The nursing home’s corporate owner claims…
An Iowa nursing home is now facing licensing and other sanctions arising out of an incident of sexual abuse of a resident. Additionally, the Iowa Board of Nursing Home Administrators is alleging that the former administrator is guilty of professional incompetence. The various allegations stem from the Board finding that…
A man was shocked to recently discover that his grandmother, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, received extensive facial injuries, including a gruesome looking gash on her head, while living in a residential care facility. The victim is 88 years old, and wheelchair bound. It remains unclear when or how the woman…
A recent Connecticut Supreme Court decision could have a major impact on nursing home litigation. The case arose out of a 2003 fire in a Hartford nursing home, which killed 16 elderly and disabled individuals. Following the catastrophic event, 13 separate individuals filed suit. However, none of the plaintiffs in…
Although we would like to think it’s not the case, reports and lawsuits indicate that abuse within nursing homes and assisted care facilities are not isolated incidents. Following the recent U.S. trend regarding hidden cameras documenting nursing home abuse, an 85 year old resident in an Ontario long term care…
South Carolina is joining a group of states in a recent trend regarding legislation addressing hidden cameras. Sometimes referred to as “granny cams,” devices are placed inside nursing homes, and are designed to capture potential abuse of residents. The legislation, such as in other states, was inspired by at least…
The Florida Senate Judiciary Committee recently voted to approve a bill that would have a major impact on the ability of plaintiffs in nursing home lawsuits to recover punitive damages. SB 1384, which passed by a 7-2 vote, would require that at an evidentiary hearing the individuals establish that the…
An Alabama nursing home is facing a wrongful death lawsuit following a fire drill gone tragically wrong. While the circumstances surrounding the accident remain unclear, the victim in this case, a 93 year old woman, was confined to a wheelchair. During what seems to have been a routine fire drill,…
The Minnesota Department of Health recently published a report on its website, stating that it had substantiated claims of neglect and abuse in at least two different nursing homes. In the first case, a disabled resident was allegedly neglected when an employee left her inside of her room with the…
The Oklahoma Legislature is in the midst of deciding whether to approve a measure that would allow loved ones to place hidden cameras in resident rooms in order to document potential abuse. The issue of hidden camera placement is currently up to each individual facility to decide. As proposed, Senate…