Law Offices of J.M. Reinan, P.C. Obtains $3.2 Million Verdict in Otero County
On Friday, April 27, 2012, an Otero County jury returned a verdict in the amount of $3.2 Million against Pioneer Health Care Center (“Pioneer”), a nursing home in Rocky Ford Colorado owned and operated by Grace Health Care.
Our client, Marietta Frazier, is the widow of former Pioneer nursing home resident, Henry Frazier. Mrs. Frazier claimed that her husband, who had advanced Parkinson’s Disease and who was 88 years old, developed a serious pressure sore on his bottom while at Pioneer as a result of nursing home neglect. Mrs. Frazier contended that neither she nor her family members were told how serious the pressure sore was by Pioneer nursing home staff and that no steps were taken to keep Mr. Frazier off of the pressure sore once it developed. As a result, the pressure sore became an infected, foul-smelling, Stage IV wound. Mrs. Frazier contended that even after Mr. Frazier became very sick and nearly unresponsive, Pioneer nursing home staff failed to send him to the hospital and instead gave the family the treating physician’s telephone number when they asked that he be sent out. The treating physician did not return their phone call, and the family again asked for Mr. Frazier to be sent out to the hospital the following day in order to get him transferred. Upon arrival to the hospital, Mr. Frazier was assessed as being septic, dehydrated and malnourished. His pressure sore was seriously infected with MRSA, a particularly dangerous type of bacteria. Hospital staff were concerned that this patient had been the victim of nursing home abuse and neglect.
Mr. Frazier never recovered from this serious pressure sore and MRSA infection, and died two months later, on December 3, 2010. His death certificate listed MRSA as his primary cause of death.
This wrongful death case was tried to the jury April 23 through April 27, 2012. The jury deliberated for just under three hours before returning its verdict in our client’s favor.
Read what the media has reported on this verdict:
$3.2 million award in Rocky Ford nursing home death tied to bedsores (The Denver Post)
Poor care at Rocky Ford nursing home blamed for death (The Pueblo Chieftain)
$3.2 million verdict – Jury awards money to family of former nursing home resident (La Junta Tribune Democrat)
