Substantial Damages Awarded in Nursing Home Negligence Case in Polk County

When nursing home residents are neglected and abused, the victims and their loved ones have the right to take legal action against the liable nursing home and any other liable parties. If the plaintiffs are successful, they can end up being awarded monetary damages for the losses that occurred. This type of resolution was clearly demonstrated in one nursing home negligence case that was recently resolved in Polk County, Florida. In the case, the jury entered a verdict that ordered Trans Healthcare Inc. and Trans Healthcare Management (the defendants in the lawsuit) to pay more than $1.1 billion in damages, according to The Ledger. The damages consisted of $110 million in basic damages, plus $1 billion in punitive damages.

As noted in the news article, the plaintiff in the lawsuit was the son of a woman who was a nursing home resident at Auburndale Oaks Healthcare Center from 2004 through 2007, when she died at the age of 69. The lawsuit alleges that the facility did not properly supervise the woman, who fell repeatedly while she was a resident of the nursing home. The Ledger cited court records, stating that the defendants in the lawsuit argued that they only operated the nursing home facility until Sept. 30, 2004.

A default judgment was made against the companies in 2011 after they stopped participating in the lawsuit (which was initially filed in 2009), according to the article. For this reason, the jury in the recent trial was only asked to determine the amount of damages that should be awarded, rather than whether the companies should actually be held liable. The Ledger noted that, in 2010, Trans Healthcare Inc. and Trans Healthcare Management was also ordered by a different jury in a separate nursing home abuse case to pay $114 million in damages. Collection efforts relating that case's damages are still pending, the news story reports.

Nursing home abuse and neglect should never be tolerated. With the help of a skilled Tampa personal injury lawyer from Smith & Stallworth, Attorneys at Law, you can receive the help you need for filing a nursing home abuse claim on behalf of your loved one. Our legal team has more than a decade of experience handling elder abuse cases, which include nursing home abuse cases. Contact us today so we can serve as tough advocates on your behalf!

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