Nursing Home Neglect

In this group home negligence case, our client was a 49-year-old developmentally disabled woman who was residing in a group home when she was physically and emotionally abused and suffered a fall and hip fracture due to poor care. Although the client needed the assistance of two staff members for transfers to and from her wheelchair, a particular aide decided not to seek assistance and tried to transfer the client herself. Unfortunately, the client fell and suffered an excruciatingly painful hip fracture, so she could not stand up when the aide demanded she stand up. When the client did not get off the ground, the aide began berating her to “get your big lazy ass up” and accused the client of faking an injury. Unbelievably, the facility did not immediately call 911 and get the client to the hospital, and instead waited an hour and a half after the injury before reporting it and sending the client to the hospital for surgical repair of the fracture. Although we filed suit to prosecute the claim, the defendant’s insurance company asked for early mediation and resolved the claim for a large confidential amount at mediation. The settlement funds allowed the client’s brother to move her to a facility near his home in Maryland, so she could be surrounded by family and not be in a Florida group home any longer.