$185,000 Settlement Reached in Nursing Home’s Failure to Prevent Fall During Transfer

Norma Jay Drye, a 65-year-old woman who suffered from dementia and other health problems, lived at Hillcrest Center Nursing Home. One morning, a nursing home assistant attempted to transfer her from a bed to a chair using a sit-to-stand Hoyer lift.

Drye dropped to the floor during the transfer and suffered bilateral femur fractures. She was transferred to a hospital where she was also diagnosed as having multiple pressure sores.

After Drye was returned to the nursing home, she remained bed bound. This led to the worsening of her pressure sores. She developed infection and gangrene, required a partial left leg amputation and died approximately one week later. She was survived by her adult daughter.

Drye’s estate and family sued the nursing home and its affiliates, alleging wrongful death and survival claims. Among other things, the Drye family asserted that the nursing home was inadequately staffed and that the nursing aide should have performed the transfer with an assistant.

Before trial, the parties settled for $185,000. The attorney successfully handling this case for the Drye family was Charles J. Galvin.

Drye v. 1245 Church Road Operations, LLC, No. 2015-0984 (Pa. Ct. Com. Pl. Montgomery County).

Kreisman Law Offices has been handling nursing home fall lawsuits, nursing home abuse cases, nursing home bed sore cases and nursing home negligence lawsuits for individuals, families and loved ones who have been harmed, injured or died as a result of the carelessness or negligence of a medical provider for more than 45 years in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas, including Arlington Heights, Rosemont, Itasca, Bloomingdale, Glendale Heights, Carol Stream, South Elgin, Batavia, Warrenville, Downers Grove, Vernon Hills, Hawthorne Woods, Palatine, Evanston, Wilmette, Chicago (Ukrainian Village, North Park, Jefferson Park, Old Town, Noble Square, West Loop, River North, East Garfield Park, Little Italy, Chinatown, Bridgeport, Kenwood, Hyde Park, Woodlawn, Englewood, Westlawn, Archer Heights), Stickney, Brookfield, Western Springs, Berwyn and Cicero, Ill.

Robert D. Kreisman has been an active member of the Illinois and Missouri bars since 1976.