88-year-old Woman Involved in a Fight, and Died from Her Injuries

Putting a loved one in a nursing home is a difficult decision for many Connecticut residents. It is hard to entrust a loved one’s care and livelihood with assistants, who may not even be properly trained. In addition, abuse is common in nursing homes. One family knows this fact all too well. The family is suing a nursing home for wrongful death after an 88-year-old woman was involved in a fight, and died from her injuries.

The woman was a resident at Summit City Nursing & Rehabilitation, located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The nursing home is owned by Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County (HHC) and American Senior Communities, LLC. (ASC), the defendants in the lawsuit filed by the woman’s family.

The incident happened in December 2011. The woman was in a fight with another resident, who pushed her. She hit her head on the floor and died a little over a week later. Her death was ruled a homicide. The woman’s family believes that the nursing home is trying to cover it up.

The family claims the nursing home’s negligence contributed to the woman’s death. They have filed a wrongful death lawsuit, seeking unspecified damages.

Although the family of an elderly victim can file a wrongful death lawsuit, the amount of damages is likely to be small. This is because the earning potential of an elderly person, especially an 88-year-old in a nursing home, is limited. In addition, an elderly person’s children are likely to be middle-aged adults in very little need of nurturing or support from their parents. However, this should not stop a grieving family from initiating a wrongful death lawsuit because these lawsuits can often help pay for expenses, and can be the first step in the healing process.

Source: WANE TV, “Family files wrongful death lawsuit for nursing home death,” March 5, 2013.