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Los Angeles Elder Abuse Lawyers
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As the population ages, unfortunately elder abuse is a more common occurrence. There is also an increase in nursing facilities, convalescent homes and senior citizen residences that don’t always provide the necessary care and supervision. We have represented several victims and their families in these types of cases. The following describes some of these situations.
Nursing Care Negligence — "Dependent Adult" Abuse
Our clients were the children of a 58-year-old woman with severe respiratory problems who died as a result of negligent care in a nursing facility. During her 3-day stay, the woman was grossly neglected, including being untreated for a 106-degree fever. Her children were knowingly misled about their mother’s condition. During a visit, the daughter was told that her mother was sleeping and under heavy medication, but that her vitals were fine. However, shortly after the daughter left the facility, she received a phone call saying that her mother was being transferred to another hospital because of low blood pressure. Instead of calling 911, the facility notified an ambulance transport service, which greatly delayed her transfer. We were able to prove that the skilled nursing facility demonstrated reckless neglect in its management of our client’s mother, thus exposing the facility to the potential expanded remedies of the Elder Abuse Act.
Result: Substantial Six-Figure Settlement
Nursing Care Negligence — Wrongful Death
Our clients were two brothers whose 96-year-old mother was admitted to a nursing home in stable health. Prior to her admission she had fractured several ribs in a fall, was hospitalized, and then transferred to the skilled nursing facility. After only a short time, her condition began to deteriorate. She was placed on Ativan, which made her lethargic, and was soon in a coma. She was transferred to a hospital where it was discovered that she was severely dehydrated and suffering from untreated urinary septic conditions. She never regained consciousness and died three weeks later.
Result: $385,000 Settlement
Nursing Care Negligence — Dialysis —Wrongful Death
Our client was the widow of a 60-year-old insulin-dependent diabetic who had been admitted to a nursing home for rehabilitation from a stroke and heart attack. The nursing home committed to continuing his critical dialysis, but repeatedly ignored the physician’s orders to do so. The patient died.
Result: Substantial Six-Figure Settlement
Residential Care Facility Negligence — Wrongful Death
Our client was the daughter of an 84-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s disease who was being cared for in a residential care facility. The facility advertised itself as a secure Alzheimer’s facility. Our client’s mother died of injuries suffered when she managed to wander out of the facility despite alarms that went off when she opened a supposedly secure exit. She made it to the parking lot of a fast food restaurant where she fell and hit her head. She never recovered from her injuries and died six weeks later. Substantial evidence existed as to the facility’s negligence in failing to protect an Alzheimer’s resident from wandering, a common behavior of Alzheimer’s patients.
Result: $600,000 Settlement
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