Jurors awarded plaintiff Elaine Stinson $1.34 million in a California nursing home abuse and neglect case. The jury found that Leisure Palms nursing facility had recklessly neglected the plaintiff in failing to implement proper fall precautions. The plaintiff suffered three falls over a two month period, the last of which resulted in a punctured lung and three broken ribs.
In addition, after the fall, staff members placed the plaintiff back in her bed instead of sending the resident to the hospital and reporting the incident. In fact, Emergency Medical Services were not called at all by the Leisure Palms staff. Upon arrival the next morning, the plaintiff’s husband called EMS once he saw his wife’s condition. Surgery was performed that day at the hospital.
The breakdown of the verdict is below:
1) $88,000 for past medical bills,
2) $500,000 for pain and suffering, and
3) $750,000 in punitive damages.
Attorneys for the plaintiff have also filed a motion demanding attorney’s fees, court costs and expert fees. Prior to trial, the Department of Social Services had investigated the family’s complaints and cited Leisure Palms for its unsafe practices. Despite these findings, the nursing facility maintained that its staff members had acted appropriately. For more information regarding this important California verdict, please click here.
