(January 2003) - Wrongful death of an 87-year-old skilled nursing facility resident/patient who died after the facility’s nursing staff failed to care plan for the patient’s well-documented “high risk” status for falls. Despite notice of previous falls provided by family members, as well as the facility’s own assessment that the patient was at “high risk” for falls, the Southern California facility failed to initiate any fall prevention protocol. Six days after being admitted, the patient fell while unassisted. As a result of the fall, the resident sustained a severe head injury. Despite being transferred to the hospital, he died later that morning. The case settled early in litigation for a total of $475,000.00.

(October 2002) - Just three months after being placed into a board and care facility, 92-year-old elderly man was rushed to the hospital where he was noted as suffering from severe malnutrition, severe dehydration, and severe muscle wasting. Upon arrival to the hospital, he was also noted as having live insect activity in his eyes and mouth. He died less than a week later. Angered at the obvious lack of care provided, his family retained the firm to file legal action against the facility for its failure to properly care for their loved one. Early during litigation, settlement was reached with the defendant facility for $950,000.00.

(May 2002) - An 83-year-old resident of a skilled nursing facility died as a result of severe urospesis, which was contracted after the defendant facility failed to properly care for and cleanse her indwelling catheter. The facility untimately settled with decedent’s six surviving children for $600,000.00.

(April 2002) - A 78-year-old resident of a skilled nursing facility died after losing 25 pounds over a period of seven days while at the facility. Although the facility contended the weight loss resulted from medical complications, and not as the result of a lack of care rendered by its facility, it agreed to settle the case with the decedent’s children in the amount of $375,000.00 before a lawsuit was filed.

(January 2002) - An 87-year-old resident of a skilled nursing facility died after the nursing home failed to administer her life-sustaining medication over a period of 26 days. The woman’s primary care physician, who the firm argued failed to adequately monitor the heath of her patient, participated in the settlement. The case settled for a total amount of $910,000.00.

{June 2001) - A 94-year-old man who fell while residing in a residential care facility, sustained a severely broken hip and shoulder, died before doctors could operate. Through its investigation, the firm was able to demonstrate that the man fell late at night as a result having been purposefully over-medicated by staff at the residential care facility who wished to keep him quiet [and thus trouble-fee]. In the face of this harmful evidence, the insurance provider for the facility agreed to settlement with the surviving family in the amount of $700,000.00.

(September 1999) - A 74-year-old resident of a residential care facility choked on her own vomit and died after staff at the facility intentionally tied her emergency call cord out of her reach. The cord was tied-up after staff became annoyed at the woman’s repeated calls for help because of persistent vomiting. Later in the evening, the woman became sick again but was unable to call for help because she could not reach the call button. When she attempted to get out of bed to seek help, she fell to the floor and proceeded to choke on her own vomit. She was found on the floor over four hours later by oncoming staff. The firm was able to settle this hard fought case on the eve of trial - without provisions of confidentiality - for $2,200,000.00. The settlement was lauded by the press as the largest settlement ever reported in the State of California against a residential care facility.