Jury Awards $114 Million Nursing Home Abuse Verdict in 76-Year-Old’s Wrongful Death
Seven years after Juanita Jackson’s death, a jury has ordered nursing home operators Trans Healthcare Inc. and Trans Healthcare Management to pay $114 million for the nursing home negligence that contributed to her wrongful death. Jackson, 76, fractured her upper arm and suffered closed head trauma during a fall accident, which took place within two weeks of her admission to IHS of Florida, Auburndale in March 2003. The nursing facility is now called Auburndale Oaks Healthcare Center.
By May 2003, Jackson had numerous bedsores and was dehydrated and malnourished. Her family decided to remove her from the nursing home. She died on July 6, 2003.
According to the nursing home abuse lawsuit, nursing home workers knew that the elderly woman was at risk of falling but failed to put in place adequate fall prevention methods. The plaintiffs are contending that Jackson never fully recovered from her fall injuries and resulting health issues.
Fall accidents can lead to serious injuries for nursing home patients. Many are already too frail to properly recovery recover from fall injuries, which can be very painful and debilitating. They also can lead to serious complications and the deterioration of one’s health.
Nursing homes know that many of their residents are prone to fall accidents and they are required to implement the proper systems, procedures, and fall prevention mechanisms, as well as make sure that there are enough properly trained staffers, to prevent these accidents from happening. For example, some nursing home patients cannot get out of their beds without help. Some residents require the help of more than one nursing home worker or even a lift when going from a bed to a wheelchair. Having handrails installed down long hallways can also help. Adequate supervision of residents is essential. Failure to act to prevent fall accidents can be grounds for a Chicago, Illinois nursing home negligence case.
Polk County Jury Awards $114 Million in Nursing Home Lawsuit, The Ledger, July 21, 2010
Related Web Resources:
Nursing Home Falls, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Fall Prevention, StopFalls.org
Chicago nursing home neglect can contribute to a patient getting hurt during a Cook County fall accident breaking his/her hip, straining a muscle, suffering from depression, developing bedsores, and in some some cases even dying.
