Senior Suffers Fatal Injuries at Local Nursing Home
Last July, a resident at a Palm Beach County nursing home was catastrophically injured, ultimately resulting in her death. Shirley Kazan, 87, was sent to the emergency room from Boulevard Rehabilitation Center on July 8, 2017 for impaired breathing. Once at the hospital, doctors discovered that Kazan had suffered from seven broken ribs, internal bleeding, and a punctured lung. Blood filled Kazan’s chest cavity, and ten days later she died in hospice care. Kazan had been a resident of Boulevard Rehabilitation Center for three years, after her husband of 62 years could no longer care for her on his own. Prior to the incident, she was diagnosed with diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.
The nurses and other staff at the nursing home claim no knowledge of how Kazan suffered her devastating injuries. According to a report filed by the Florida Department of Children and Families, the injuries were most likely caused by the staff’s improper use of a mechanical lift while trying to move Kazan. The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration performed their own review of the nursing home facility and found that the facility failed to protect Kazan from neglect, failed to thoroughly investigate her death, failed to notify law enforcement of a possible crime, and failed to ensure that its staff was competent in using the mechanical lift when the injuries occurred. The nursing home was fined $380,470 for it’s role in Kazan’s death.
Nursing Home Accountability
Nursing home facilities have a duty to protect their elderly residents from harm, including from abuse and neglect. Failing to properly train, report, and investigate accidents involving residents is a form of nursing home neglect, even though it does not always present like other nursing home neglect cases. If your elderly loved one is injured in a nursing home, the facility is liable for the harm caused. Under Florida law, this includes economic and noneconomic damages to compensate for the harm caused. Economic damages include payment for medical expenses and rehabilitation. Noneconomic damages include payment for pain and suffering, emotional distress, and the loss of enjoyment of life.
In the most tragic cases of nursing home neglect, when a resident dies as a result, the family of the victim can also hold the nursing home facility liable for wrongful death damages. Compensation for wrongful death includes payment for final medical bills, reasonable funeral and burial costs, and the loss of love, support, and companionship of their loved one. To learn more about your legal options in a nursing home neglect case, you need to speak with an experienced nursing home neglect attorney.
Do Not Hesitate to Call
If you believe that your elderly loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect in the West Palm Beach area, call the office or contact us online at Gary Roberts & Associates today. Schedule a free and confidential review of your nursing home abuse and neglect claims to learn more about your options for compensation.
Resource:
naplesnews.com/story/news/local/florida/2018/12/12/florida-nursing-home-death-shirley-kazan-broken-ribs-punctured-lung-boulevard-rehabilitation-center/1922206002/
