Personal Injury Lawyers > Personal Injury Blog > Nursing Home Abuse > Sacramento Jury Hits Nursing Home with $28 Million Punitive Damages Verdict

Personal Injury Blog

Sacramento Jury Hits Nursing Home with $28 Million Punitive Damages Verdict

A nursing home in Rocklin got an unexpected verdict this week. The nursing home has been slapped with a $20 million verdict for punitive damages in the death of a resident. The nursing home Colonial Healthcare of Auburn as well as its parent company, Horizon West of Rocklin, were both found guilty of elder abuse.

The case revolved around the death of 79-year-old Stockton resident, Francis Tanner. According to Tanner‘s daughter, her mother was active and mobile when she moved into the nursing home in 2005. However just a few months later, she suffered a fall accident that resulted in a broken hip. Just a few months later, she was dead from infected bedsores.

Her daughter filed a lawsuit against both Colonial Healthcare as well as Horizon West. This week, she was awarded $1.1 million in damages for her mother’s pain and suffering. The jury also awarded her more than $28 million in punitive damages.

The punitive damages verdict came after a trial in which the jury was shown evidence that the nursing home constantly put profits ahead of patient care. During the trial, jurors heard from former staffers at the nursing home, who admitted that the conditions at the home were so bad that they would not place their relative in the facility. There was also plenty of evidence of greed, and lack of proper medical documentation. The facility was chronically understaffed, and this placed patients at a high risk of neglect.

Deciding to place a loved one in a nursing home is a major decision for any Californian. The fact that there are facilities like Colonial Healthcare out there, makes your decision even more difficult. However, California nursing home abuse lawyers would encourage families of residents of these facilities to be alert at all times to signs of abuse and neglect.

Oversight of nursing homes is not as stringent as California elder abuse lawyers would like. There are still far too many nursing homes that get by and are allowed to operate with chronic staffing shortages. This means that residents do not have access to the high quality round-the-clock care that they need.

It also means that hiring processes are not as actively supervised or as watertight as necessary. There are few safeguards in place to root out undesirable persons from working as staff members in close proximity to elderly residents. Very often, these oversights lead to horrible crimes against the defenseless elderly, including rapes and assaults.

When you visit a loved one at the nursing home, look out for signs of abuse and neglect. There may be physical signs like bruises and wounds. Look for signs of any unnecessary physical restraint, like marks on the wrists. Bed sores are a sure sign of physical neglect.

Look for other not so physical signs of distress. Does your loved one seem anxious, fidgety or restless? Does he/she complain about the care at the nursing home? Does he/she seem afraid? These may be signs of abuse or neglect.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of nursing home abuse. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not representing any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

---

One response to “Sacramento Jury Hits Nursing Home with $28 Million Punitive Damages Verdict”

1. Nurse Jenny writes:
   

   Thanks for this blogpost! I have the research today with regard to my personal thesis in my medical subject. My teacher may like it.. I really hope so.. Bless you again!

   @ June 10th, 2010 at 01:48