Illinois Nursing Home Will Be Sued for Negligence, Says Family of Berkeley Woman Whose Body Was Found in Chicago Hotel Room Closet
The family of an Illinois woman whose naked body was found stuffed in a closet at the Chicago Lodge Motel says they plan to sue the Somerset Nursing Home for negligence. Maratta Walker, 46, was a patient at the home. Her family says she lived there because she had a brain tumor that caused her to have seizures. Because of her condition, Walker was not allowed to leave the nursing home without supervision.
Walker’s sister, Caroline, says that she was unable to locate her sister after May 7 and she thinks that is around the time the murder occurred. When Walker's body was discovered on May 20th, the medical examiner reported that she had been murdered at least two weeks ago.
Chicago police had to fingerprint Walker's body to identify her. Her face was missing an eye, teeth had been knocked out, and she was reportedly beaten to death. Investigators are still searching for a suspect. Walker’s family, however, says that she would have never have been murdered if she hadn't been allowed out of the nursing home without supervision.
Nursing Home Abuse and Negligence
Nursing homes are supposed to provide residents with proper medical care and attention. When failure to provide this care leads to injury or death, the nursing home resident or his or her family is entitled to file a claim or lawsuit against the home and/or staff members for personal injury or wrongful death.
Common signs that a resident may be a victim of nursing home neglect:
• Unsanitary conditions
• Failure to provide proper and timely medical care
• Failure to prevent malnutrition
• Dehydration
• Bedsores
• Failure to regularly clean or feed the patient
• Failure to supervise the patient
Under the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act, all nursing home residents are entitled to certain legal rights when staying at a care facility. Failure to have those rights honored can be grounds for a nursing home abuse/neglect claim or lawsuit.
Family Of Woman Found Naked In Closet To File Lawsuit, NBC5.com, June 9, 2008
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