Two nursing homes in Missoula have settled a wrongful death lawsuit for an undisclosed amount with the family of a man that died while under nursing home care in 2005. The lawsuit claimed that both Riverside Health Care Center and the Village Health Care Center were negligent in failing to provide adequate care for Ralph Seewald. The family alleges that the care given to Seewald did not meet the standards promised by the nursing homes.
More specifically, the family contended the Mr. Seewald fell and fractured his neck during a transfer from his wheelchair, an accident that left him bedridden. He then developed severe pressure ulcers (bedsores, decubitus ulcers) that worsened over a period of months, and led to a fatal case of gangrene in his leg.
Website Resource:
Family settles suit against nursing homes, Billings Gazette, Tristain Scott, February 28, 2010.