Elder Law

$900,000 Verdict in Nursing Home Resident?s Lawsuit Against Police for Loss of Dignity

By Levin & Perconti

A jury has awarded a $900,000 verdict in a nursing home abuse and neglect lawsuit to an 86-year-old woman with Alzheimer's disease after she suffered a loss of dignity when police forced her to the floor of her nursing home and handcuffed her. The nursing home called for an ambulance to aid the resident, but the police answered the call as well when the nursing home stated that the resident was abusive and dangerous. When the police responded, they handcuffed the woman and placed her on the floor, face down, for six minutes before she was put on a stretcher. During this process, the nursing home resident sustained bruises and sprains. What is most outrageous is that the nursing home staff never told the family members about the incident; it was only from the family members of another resident that the victim?s family members found out why she had been injured. Luckily, closed circuit television captured the incident which proved helpful at trial. Even though the victim was not able to recall her loss of dignity due to her Alzheimer?s, the jury still found that she did suffer and awarded her the verdict.

See the news story here.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on May 20, 2008 (boomark / email).