Two-Week Long Trial Results in $91.5M Settlement for Elder Neglect
The family of a West Virginia woman was awarded $91.5 million in damages following a two-week long court trial over negligence of an elderly woman. The 87-year-old woman was staying at a West Virginia nursing home for three weeks before she died. A jury found that workers from the nursing home neglected to feed or care for the elderly woman’s health, which directly resulted in her death. The woman’s death came as a result of dehydration.
The incident originally occurred in September of 2009 when the woman’s son checked her into to the nursing home while he waited for space to open up at a separate nursing home. The elderly woman reportedly suffered from dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. The elderly woman’s son stated he had taken her to the nursing home in good health but when she was to be transferred to the second nursing home she was completely unresponsive, dehydrated and she had lost 15 pounds in weight. The family’s lawyers told the jury there were simply not enough nurses on staff to help the elderly woman.
One of the most common causes of elder neglect is due to under-staffing at the nursing homes. Many nursing homes take on more patients than their staff can handle and in the end this results in some patients not receiving the proper care they need or deserve. However, no elderly person should be forced to live the rest of their lives malnourished and near death before they receive the proper care. If you or someone you know is being neglected at a nursing home as a result of under-staffing, you should contact an attorney who can help get the compensation you deserve. Many elderly people suffer highly debilitating diseases and often find it difficult to live life under normal circumstances. They should never be forced in a situation that could drastically reduce their quality of life or could potentially be fatal.
