(914) 220-1086An Arizona jury awarded $11,000,000 in damages ($2,000,000 for the decedent, $5,000,000 for his widow, and $4,000,000 in punitive damages) in a case involving outrageous incidents of abuse perpetrated by employees at Liberty Manor Residence, an assisted living facility. The verdict is the highest reported amount awarded to a plaintiff in a case against an assisted living facility.
The plaintiff-decedent, a 36 year-old male, was in a coma after suffering a brain injury in a car accident. As a result, his wife placed him in an assisted living facility while she continued to work as a teacher. One evening, Mrs. Scherer received a call from Liberty Manor indicating that her husband was vomiting. She quickly drove to the facility and took him home. Upon arrival at their home, he began vomiting black material and passed away with his wife at his side.
An autopsy found paper towels, candy wrappers, and ketchup packaets in the plaintiff’s stomach. The cause of death was mechanical obstruction of the gastrintestinal tract. In addition, the jury was shown evidence of the facility’s false charting (the staff had documented that care was provided when Mr. Scherer was not present in the facility).
the Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC, Attorneys at Law, represents individuals who have been injured as a result of abuse and/or neglect in assisted living and nursing home facilities. Please contact us if you or a loved one has suffered such an injury.
