
Examples of Nursing Home Neglect in Illinois
In one recent Illinois case, a nursing home resident died as a result of a head injury sustained during a fall. While being transferred from her bed to her wheelchair via a mechanical lift, the resident fell out of the lift, striking her head. A wrongful death lawsuit was subsequently filed seeking $100,000 in total damages based on two specific claims of negligence. First, the facility’s policy stated that transfers via a mechanical lift were to be performed by two trained staff members. However, in this case, it was alleged that only one staff member was present. The lawsuit also alleged that the facility failed to act with appropriate care in response to the resident’s documented status as “high risk for falling.”
Another recent lawsuit alleged that a nursing home neglected to give appropriate care to a bedridden resident. The resident entered the nursing home specifically to receive care for pressure sores. Rather than improving, the sores grew worse and became infected. The resident’s family members alleged that the facility was negligent in failing to take appropriate action to treat the bedsores. The resident wound up needing surgery and ongoing wound care treatment for two more years, with one small,
Consult a Palatine Elder Abuse Attorney
If you have an elderly relative who may have been abused or neglected by a caregiver, your first step should be to carefully document each specific incident with photographs, times, dates, and names of possible witnesses. Then, call an experienced Arlington Heights nursing home neglect lawyer. The law firm of Drost, Gilbert, Andrew & Apicella, LLC has obtained compensation for our clients in numerous cases of personal injury, including cases involving negligence or malpractice in healthcare settings. Contact us at 847-934-6000 to schedule a free consultation.
About the Author: Attorney Ken Apicella is a founding partner of DGAA focusing in the areas of personal injury, employment, insurance coverage disputes, and civil litigation. Ken earned his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law in 1999. He has been named a SuperLawyers Rising Star and a Forty Illinois Attorneys Under Forty to Watch. Ken has written and lectured for the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education and regularly serves as a moderator at Northwest Suburban Bar Association's Continuing Legal Education seminars.
Sources:
https://www2.illinois.gov/aging/ProtectionAdvocacy/LTCOmbudsman/Pages/ombuds_reporting.aspx
https://www.mednetcompliance.com/residents-lawsuits-residents-deaths/