Quadriplegic Suffers Heat Stroke in Nursing Home Bed

Milwaukee, WI personal injury attorney Jeffrey Pitman, of Pitman, Kalkhoff, Sicula & Dentice, S.C., filed a lawsuit on behalf of a Jefferson woman who died while in the care of Marian Franciscan, a Milwaukee area nursing home.

The resident, a 44-year-old female, was admitted to Marian Franciscan Center for rehabilitation following a 2003 accident that left her a quadriplegic. A special air mattress was installed on June 29, 2004 as a preventative measure for pressure sores. However, the mattress was not properly calibrated, leaving her lying on a bed with a temperature setting that was far greater than required. On the morning of June 30, 2005 the resident was found unresponsive in her bed with a temperature of 108.9° F. The prolonged exposure to the incorrectly calibrated mattress caused the Plaintiff to suffer hyperthermia, causing a stroke. The Plaintiff passed away on August 2, 2004.

The lawsuit, filed in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, alleges that Marian Franciscan Center failed to provide adequate supervision, training and instruction to the nursing staff to ensure that the Plaintiff received care, assessments, and pressure relief. It is also alleged that the facility failed to properly and correctly install, set, maintain, inspect and adjust the mattress setting. The lawsuit also names Universal Hospital Services and Millen Air Manufacturing alleging, among other things, failure to properly install and instruct an operation of the mattress and defective product design.

For additional information concerning Jeffrey Pitman, contact the nursing home abuse attorneys at Pitman, Kyle & Sicula, S.C. by calling 414-333-3333 .

PKSD – Est. 1999.