Rhonda Stephan, as the personal representative of the estate of Bobby Gene Hicks, appealed an order by the trial court granting a motion to compel arbitration that was filed by Millennium Nursing and Rehab Center Inc. Stephan contended that Bobby Hicks, her father, died in 2015 while he was a…
Chicago Nursing Home Lawyers Blog
Nursing Home Held Liable for Improper Treatment of Patient’s Respiratory Distress
Carolyn Cauffiel was 75 and had a history of pneumonia. She was admitted to the Heartland Rehabilitation and Care Center for a five-month period. While she was there, she complained of breathing problems. An attending nursing home nurse came to assist her but did not auscultate her lung sounds. Auscultate is…
Illinois Appellate Court Affirms New Trial in Wrongful Death Case Against Nursing Home Doctor
The Illinois Appellate Court has affirmed a request for a new trial in the wrongful death case against a nursing home where a doctor failed to recognize and diagnose the symptoms of a pulmonary embolism. The case arose from Mary Sikora’s request for a new trial. She claimed that the…
State Appellate Court Finds That Claim Arising Out of Patient’s Fall at Nursing Home Required Expert Testimony to Prove Causation
The state appellate court in Nebraska held that a lawsuit against a nursing home arising out of a patient’s fall from bed required expert testimony to prove causation and was not subject to the common-knowledge exception. In this case, Musa Gwelo suffered from multiple myeloma, chronic pain, depression, and tachycardia.…
$180,000 Settlement Reached in Failure to Prevent Pressure Sores in Nursing Home
Jean Purdie was admitted to Towne Manor West Nursing Home for short-term rehabilitation services in April 2015. At the time of her admission, she suffered from hemiparesis, diabetes and hypertension. She was unable to move herself in bed. She developed a deep tissue injury on her sacrum during her first…
$1.83 Million Jury Verdict for Nursing Home’s Failure to Prevent and Treat Pressure Sores
Morley Sprague was 57 and suffering from end-stage multiple sclerosis and had a history of urinary tract infections (UTI) and degenerative joint disease. After being hospitalized for treatment for sepsis and UTI, he was admitted to the North Canyon Care Center, a nursing home that offered wound care services. Unfortunately,…
Cook County Jury Signs Verdict for $972,000 in Nursing Home Negligence Lawsuit
Audrey Smith, 92, lived at Anna Rehabilitation & Nursing Center and suffered from dementia, hypertension and depression. Almost ten years after her admission, she was found in a pool of blood on the floor of her room. She had fallen and suffered a subdural hematoma with midline shift, a C6…
$200,000 Jury Verdict for Nursing Home’s Failure to Diagnose Orthopedic Injuries to Resident
June Newbauer, 70, lived at the Grace Living Center. She was dropped to the floor as she was being transferred into a shower chair. An x-ray showed no fracture, according to radiologist and defendant, Dr. James Zimmerman. Another internist reviewed the same x-ray and also concluded there was no fracture.…
State Appellate Court Affirms Judgment Notwithstanding Verdict that Vacated Judgment Against Health Care Center for Wrongful Death of Resident
Harry Cohoon was diagnosed with a treatable form of cancer and was recovering at Victoria Healthcare Center while he underwent treatment from various injuries he had suffered. For 19 days, he did well at the healthcare center. On the 20th day of his residency there, he was observed having difficulty…
Illinois Appellate Court Returns Nursing Home-Arbitration Case Back for Discovery on Severable Issues in the Wrongful Death Portion of Case
In this case, the plaintiff, Merton Messmore, brought a wrongful-death claim against the nursing home in Silvis, Ill., which is about 161 miles west of Chicago. Messmore’s wife, Mary, died after she allegedly fell. The Illinois Appellate Court called this case “a unique situation” about a stay under Section 2(d)…