Elder Neglect Lawsuit Verdict of $1.3M Against California Nursing Home

A California jury awarded an elderly woman more than $1.3 million last month, finding that injuries she suffered were a result of nursing home neglect at the hands of staff at the facility where she was residing.

The complaint involved injuries suffered by Elaine Stinson, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and was recovering from a recent hip surgery, in a fall that occurred on December 31, 2006 at Leisure Palms nursing home in Fallbrook, California. As a result of the nursing home fall, Stinson suffered a punctured lung, broken ribs and head contusion.

Stinson’s California elder neglect lawsuit alleged that the staff at the facility was not properly trained and failed to provide the proper level of care given a prior determination that she had a high risk of falling and wandering.

Between October and December 2006, Stinson claimed to have suffered three falls at the nursing home. Following the fall on December 31, the staff did not contact Stinson’s doctor or family, and no medical treatment was provided until after her husband found her unresponsive during a visit the next morning.

The verdict in the nursing home neglect lawsuit was returned on June 15, 2009, including $88,000 for past medical bills, $500,000 in general damages and $750,000 in punitive damages.

Stinson was 82 years old at the time of the incident, and spent 10 months recovering from the elder neglect injuries at a different nursing home.