Family Wins $19M in Nursing Home Abuse Case

A nursing home in Brooklyn that neglected a 76-year-old man and caused him to get more than 20 bedsores will be required to pay nearly $19 million to the victim’s family. 76-year-old John Danzy lost nearly 100 pounds and suffered from a serious infection as a result of his bedsores after six months of staying at the Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home. It was also discovered that the nursing home had doctored records to cover up their neglect. As a result, the jury awarded $3.5 million for pain and suffering and $15 million in punitive damages for the doctored records.

Bed sores are one of the most common and most serious results of nursing home neglect. They are caused when a patient is forced to lay or sit in the same position for a long period of time. Nursing homes are required to turn or move patients on a regular basis to prevent bed sores from occurring and keep records of these movements to ensure that they are done properly. Bed sores can erode skin and cause holes in the body and lead to serious infections and even death. If you have a loved one in a nursing home, you should check for bed sores and ask to see records to ensure that bed sores are not developing.
 

Nursing Home Abuse in Arizona

Arizona is one of the few states in the country that has a unique statutory definition of “abuse” of nursing home patients.

“Abuse” means:

1. Intentional infliction of physical harm.
2. Injury caused by negligent acts or omissions.
3. Sexual abuse or sexual assault.

This definition is broader than the common definition of abuse and therefore includes what would ordinarily be classified as simple negligence. This expanded definition is helpful in asserting claims for poor care given to Arizona nursing home patients.