Patient who had to have amputation receives $4.5 million settlement against a California skilled nursing facility – was represented by Dudensing Law
June 10, 2024
Originally published by
dudensinglaw.com
In April 2024, Dudensing Law secured $4.5 million on behalf of an elderly victim of reckless neglect by a California assisted living facility. In this case, the victim suffered an infection that led to amputation. This gruesome fate would have been wholly avoidable had the facility properly cared for Mr. Dudensing’s client.
When the patient was admitted to the skilled nursing facility, she was recovering from surgery and was at a high risk of infection. Medical charts kept by the facility detail signs of incisional infection, yet the staff did not take appropriate measures to address and heal the infection. The facility failed to act as a reasonable care provider would have in numerous respects, including by neglecting to administer multiple physician-ordered treatments. Unsanitary conditions found in the facility further accelerated the spread of infection, leading to serious medical consequences for the patient. By the time she was transferred to an emergency medical facility, the severity of the infection necessitated an amputation of the leg, along with multiple other serious surgeries, which significantly affected the victim’s mobility and quality of life.
While residents were exposed to dangerously unclean conditions due to cost-cutting practices, the top facility executives enjoyed salaries much higher than average nursing home administrators in the state. This case underscores the sad reality that some skilled nursing facilities prioritize profits over patient health.