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On Monday, Sept. 26, a Cerro Gordo County jury granted $900,000 in compensation to the family of a resident of Good Shepherd nursing home in Mason City, Iowa, who it was concluded died prematurely because of the poor care she received while at the facility.
After eight hours of deliberation over two days, the jury found the facility to be negligent in its care of the woman. The jury also found that the facility showed a willful and malicious disregard for the safety and rights of another resident. That conduct, however, was not directed at the victim of the lawsuit.
The woman’s children were awarded $150,000 in damages for the mental and physical pain and suffering that their mother experienced while at the home. The jury also awarded $750,000 in punitive damages that are meant to serve as a punishment for the facility’s actions and a deterrent from other homes engaging in the same kind of conduct.
According to reports, the woman had lived at Good Shepherd for two and a half years before she was taken to the hospital in March 2015 and died in April 2015 from dehydration at the age of 84 while in the care of hospice. She weighed 127 pounds when she first entered the home, but lost 43 pounds in the time she was there.
Expert witnesses who testified at the trial stated that the woman fell in March 2014, which led to the downfall of her health. Testimony showed that the fall could have been prevented.
The family’s attorneys also presented allegations of possible overdoses in medication and failure to follow the woman’s care plan. There was also evidence of a mouse that entered her room and left droppings on her bed.
When nursing home facilities fail to provide adequate care for their residents, they should be held accountable for their abuse and negligence. The nursing home abuse attorneys at PKSD can help you do just that through a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.
If your loved one has died as a result of poor care while residing in a nursing home, do not hesitate to contact our wrongful death lawyers immediately to learn more about your legal options.
Call 414-333-3333 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by attorney Jeffery A. Pitman, who has more than 28 years of legal experience and handled thousands of personal injury cases while obtaining millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and New Mexico.
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