Example Maryland Nursing Home Lawsuits

Below are fifteen example of nursing home lawsuits that were filed in Maryland in 2016-2017. As you will see, Genesis Healthcare is a common defendant and bed sores and fall are common sources of injuries and death.

• 1 - Hall v. Genesis Healthcare (filed on January 4, 2016): A Genesis Healthcare facility fails to take the precautions necessary to prevent a woman from developing bedsores while she is a resident there. The woman dies, and her sons bring a wrongful death claim against Genesis.
• 7 - Tarleton v. Glen Burnie Health and Rehabilitation Center (filed January 7, 2016): In Anne Arundel County, an elderly man resided at Glen Burnie Health and Rehab Center. While there, he is not properly supervised, and he falls and breaks his hip. A week later he dies, and his son files both survival and wrongful death claims against the facility.
• 10 - Messersmith v. Consulate Health Care (filed on January 11, 2016): A woman is admitted to Envoy. While residing there, the staff fail to diagnose and treat her urinary tract infection. Shortly after she is released from Envoy's care, she dies of sepsis while in hospice care. Her daughters file a claim on her behalf, including medical malpractice, wrongful death, and survival actions.
• 12 - Renner v. Good Samaritan Nursing Center (filed on January 12, 2016): Good Samaritan Nursing Center, in Baltimore City, fails to ensure that a resident does not develop bed sores while there. Once he develops the bed sores, these cause him to need to remain in an assisted living facility for nine months before he dies.
• 14 - Eichelberger v. Emerge (filed on January 12, 2016): An intellectually disabled man is a documented fall risk, residing at a nursing home. The nursing home allegedly fails to ensure that he does not fall, by not taking the proper precautions. The man falls multiple times, sustaining multiple injuries.
• 20 - Ballard v. Aurora Senior Living of Manokin (filed on January 15, 2016): A woman residing at Aurora Senior Living, in Somerset County, needs help walking to and from the restroom. She presses the call button on her bed, but when no one responds, she is forced to make her way to the bathroom alone. In this process, she slips and falls. This injury requires hip surgery at a hospital, along with continuing pain.
• 38 - Best v. Spa Creek Center filed January 29, 2016): This is a nursing home bed sore/slip and fall case in Anne Arundel County. A woman develops bed sore while at Spa Creek Center, a nursing home in Annapolis, Maryland. Bed sore worsens as Spa Creek fails to provide adequate care. Additionally, woman is a known fall risk. She falls from her wheelchair and sustains a substantial laceration to her head. It is alleged that Spa Creek failed to institute an appropriate fall protocol to limit the woman's risk of falling.
• 43 - Martin v. Global Living Center (filed February 2, 2016): This is a nursing home medication error case in Allegany County. The patient is given another person's medication and dies 6 hours later. Patient's daughter files a medical negligence lawsuit and a wrongful death claim.
• 44 - Hargrove v. Future Care Sandtown (filed February 02, 2016): This is a nursing home negligence case in Baltimore City against Maryland-based FutureCare. Nursing home fails to timely diagnose and evaluate woman's medical conditions. Woman dies of sepsis. Her children file a wrongful death claim and a survival claim against the nursing home.
• 63 - Hess v. Lighthouse Senior Living at Rose Manor (filed February 11, 2016): After being admitted to Lighthouse Senior Living, a man's son starts to observe traumatic injuries on his father's body, and questions the staff who says that the injuries are likely the result of falls. The son leaves a video camera in the room, which reveals the staff physically abusing the man. Additionally, the plaintiff claims the staff deprived him of necessary sleep on a repeated basis.
• 384 - Dicus v. Glen Burnie Health & Rehabilitation Center (filed August 3, 2016): A man is admitted to Glen Burnie Health & Rehab with very poor balance, multiple bruises, and is a fall precaution. He attempts to get up after a nurse leaves him while he is in a locked wheelchair, but falls and hits his head on the floor. He is unresponsive and ultimately passes away due to the injuries from the fall.
• 391 - Alkire v. Beverly Enterprises/Golden Living Center (filed August 9, 2016): A woman is admitted to Golden Living Center after having back surgery and with limited mobility. A few days later, an RN helps her get in and out of bed, and with using the bathroom as the woman requires substantial assistance with any movements. While she is being moved out of her bed, she falls face first, striking her left eye on the bed. As a result, she sustains a laceration and contusion to her head and eye.
• 392 - Mallette v. Genesis Healthcare Corporation (filed August 9, 2016): A man becomes a resident at Woodside Center with a very long past medical history. A physical is done at the time he is admitted, finding he is bowel and bladder incontinent and in need of assistance with daily activities and is a fall risk. He suffers episodes of confusion and is again documented as a fall risk. However, the plan of care developed for him does not include any fall precautions. He falls from his wheelchair to the floor, sustaining a displaced left femoral neck fracture requiring surgery.
• 413 - Guidi v. Genesis Healthcare (filed August 19, 2016): A man is admitted to Genesis Cromwell Center after being released from treatment for a UTI at Upper Chesapeake Hospital. At the time of admission to Genesis, he does not have any pressure ulcers, however in the seven months he resides there, he develops an unstageable sacral pressure ulcer and other wounds that become infected, which ultimately lead to his death.

The quality of life and quality of care in Maryland nursing homes far too often ranges from questionable to awful. Far too often the care in a "skilled nursing facility" is anything but skilled. There are a lot of causes of the nursing home crisis in Maryland. But the root of most of the problems is money. These for-profit nursing homes cannot resist putting profits before people.

Years ago, Maryland juries had a high level of tolerance for nursing home mistakes. This is no longer the case. People live longer and jurors today have a better understanding that human life is valuable at every age. And every juror knows that it could just as easily be their parent or grandparent - or themselves. Accordingly, Maryland juries in nursing home negligence and wrongful death cases are no longer giving nursing homes a pass. Plaintiffs win the vast majority of nursing home lawsuits, particularly in urban areas. If you think you have a viable lawsuit, you should contact a nursing home lawyer with a track record of success.

Holding nursing homes accountable for their mistakes helps keep these businesses in check and decreases the number of injuries and deaths from negligence in our nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Have you or a loved one suffered as a result of the negligence of a nursing home or assisted living facility? You may be entitled to money damages for the harm that has been done. Miller & Zois has a very long history of results in medical malpractice and nursing home cases in Maryland, earning large verdicts and settlements. Get an online case review or call us today at (800) 553-8082 to speak with a medical negligence attorney who can help you.

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