Elder Law

Nursing Home Settles Lawsuit After Wrongful Death

By Levin & Perconti

Cynthia Wims entered the Willows Nursing & Rehabilitation Center for what was supposed to be a brief recovery period following elective hip replacement surgery. Unfortunately, she would never leave the facility alive. The Cap Times recently published a detailed story on Cythnia?s struggle.

Cynthia?s health seemed to deteriorate each day that she was at the facility. Her surgical wound never improved as expected, and she instead developed a staph infection. Staph infections are rarely life threatening, and doctors are usually able to treat it without too many complications. However, Cynthia never got treatment, because not one of the rehabilitation employees at the facility took any steps to take care of the medical problem. A doctor was never called, her wounds were never treated, and Cynthia?s husband was forced to take her clothes home to wash every day because drainage from the wound soiled them.

Less than a month and a half after arriving at the negligent nursing home, Cynthia died. She left behind a husband of fifty years, several children, and many grandchildren. Cynthia?s husband filed a nursing home lawsuit following her death, and recently settled the case for over $2.25 million. The settlement was reached with the large nursing conglomerate that owned the facility.

Our Chicago nursing home attorneys at Levin & Perconti have helped many families in similar circumstances win settlements and awards following deaths at nursing homes. It is important for all those who have suffered a loss that could have been prevented to contact nursing home lawyers to learn about the rights that they may have. We may never be able to put an end to all negligent nursing home conduct. However, with each new family that comes forward and fights for their right to proper treatment, more facilities are forced to improve the care that they deliver on a daily basis. In that way, each new legal victory is another step closer toward ensuring that current nursing home residents do not fall victim to abuse and neglect.

Please Click Here to read more about the troubling case of nursing home negligence that killed Cynthia Wilms.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on September 27, 2010 (boomark / email).