Jury Awards Boynton Beach Widow Nearly $2 Million in Nursing Home Neglect Case
After a week-long civil trial, a West Palm Beach jury has awarded the widow of a man who died as a result of neglect at the Lake Worth Manor nursing home $1,775,000 million in damages. According to The Palm Beach Post, it is one of the state’s largest awards ever in a nursing home case.
The family sued Lake Worth Manor (now called Oasis) in 2010, after they discovered a litany of abuses heaped upon the 72-year-old resident. During his 63-day stay in 2008, he lost more than 30 pounds and developed severe pressure sores on his buttocks and heels. He was moved out of the home two weeks before he died.
The family claimed that the nursing home lost the man’s dentures and then wondered why he wasn’t able to eat his meals; the facility lost his shoes, then put size eight shoes on his size 10 feet; and when questioned about the bandages on the man’s feet and backside, staff claimed they were merely “blisters.”
The attorney claims the facility lied to him when he asked about the man’s injuries, telling him that he had already been injured when he came to the home. They then allegedly denied that his injuries indicated any neglect on their part. The attorney claimed the facility was understaffed, working with a skeleton crew to save money.
The widow of the man told The Palm Beach Post, “I think the most difficult part of this for me was seeing the way he died, how fast it happened. I don’t want anyone else to go through what happened to him.”
She said that she would spend part of the settlement to fight for nursing home industry reform in Florida.
There is nothing more heinous than a nursing home that takes advantage of some of our most vulnerable population. If you believe a loved one has suffered because of abuse or neglect at an assisted living facility, a Palm Beach nursing home abuse lawyer at Farah & Farah can help. Call us at (800) 533-3555 to find out what actions you can take to stop the abuse and neglect and see that justice is done.
