Jury Awards $7.75 Million Nursing Home Abuse Verdict After 71-Year-Old Patient Assaulted by Facility Employee
A jury has awarded $7.75 million to the family of Maria Arellano, a 71-year-old stroke patient for nursing home abuse: $5 million is for punitive damages and $2.75 million is for actual damages.
Arellano’s family set up a hidden camera after management at the Fillmore Convalescent Center allegedly ignored their complaints that the elderly woman had unexplained bruises. According to the plaintiffs’ nursing home abuse lawyer, footage shows nursing home worker Monica Garcia pulling Arellano by the hair, slapping her, bending her wrists, fingers, and neck, and violently handling her while she is seated in a shower chair.
Garcia pleaded no contest to simple battery. Arellano continues to stay at the assisted living facility.
Another stroke victim from the same nursing home, 83-year-old Daniel Sanchez, was also the alleged victim of elder abuse. His family says they too saw evidence of hair pulling and bruising. Their nursing home abuse lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial in 2010.
Elder Abuse
It his horrible that older and physically vulnerable nursing home residents continue to be easy targets for abusive nursing home workers and patients with violent tendencies. Nursing home workers and the facilities that employ them can be held liable for Chicago, Illinois nursing home abuse, neglect, and/or negligence for allowing nursing home violence to occur at their facilities. Nursing home facilities should take abuse and neglect allegations seriously and make sure that they take action to stop the violence.
Examples of abusive acts committed by nursing home workers:
• Biting
• Scratching
• Punching
• Slapping
• Inappropriate restraints
• Unnecessary pharmaceutical restraints
• Rape
• Sexual assault
• Molestation
• Murder
• Emotional abuse
• Physical abuse
$7.75 million awarded in abuse case, Ventura County Star, December 11, 2009
$7.75 Million lawsuit settled with Fillmore Convalescent Center, Fillmore Gazette, December 23, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Nursing Homes, AARP
Medicare.gov, Nursing Homes
