In a previous blog, our nursing home negligence attorneys in Baltimore, Maryland discussed a recent lawsuit verdict, where a jury handed Skilled Healthcare Group Inc., a nursing home company based in California, a $677 million verdict over nursing home negligence due to understaffing in the homes.
According to Bloomberg news, Skilled Healthcare announced a $50 million lawsuit settlement today, in an effort to avoid the $677 million verdict in damages—what Bloomberg calls the largest award announced in the U.S. this year, by the Humboldt County jury in July.
In the July verdict, Skilled Healthcare was found to be negligent for violating state regulations by failing to properly staff the number of nurses required for duty in the 22 facilities throughout California.
According to California State law, nursing homes are required to provide 3.2 hours of direct skilled nursing care per day, per patient. The federal recommendation standard for nursing requirements is reportedly 4.1 nursing hours per patient. As part of the settlement, the facilities operating the nursing homes will be responsible for providing the legally mandated nurse staffing, and complying with federal and state regulations on staffing.