RESULTS
Valentine Law Group has obtained millions of dollars in settlements and jury verdicts on behalf of their clients. We have settled multiple cases for six to seven figures against acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and residential care facilities.
Our cases have involved resident assaults, falls, bedsores, sepsis, malnutrition, dehydration, and other types of harm.
The following are a small sampling of the many successful verdicts and settlements the attorneys of Valentine Law Group have achieved over the last several years on behalf of their clients:
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact the lawyers of The Valentine Law Group for consultation.
$2,000,000.00
Verdict
Elder Abuse, Neglect, And Wrongful Death
Defendant:
Villa Valencia Healthcare Center (Skilled Nursing Facility)
Venue:
Orange County
Valentine Law Group represented the Estate of Mary Kathleen Adams and her surviving children. Ms. Adams, who was 104-years old, was admitted to Villa Valencia Healthcare Center upon suffering a fractured leg for short-term physical rehabilitation and planned to return home. During her admission, Ms. Adams subsequently developed pressure ulcers. Mrs. Adams died as a result of the pressure ulcers, which due to her neglect, became infected.
Following a nearly two-month trial, where it was shown by Ms. Valentine that the facility had operated for extended periods of time without appropriate qualified management, including an administrator and nursing director, a jury returned a verdict of $1 million in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages.
$1,000,000.00
SETTLEMENT
Dependent Adult Abuse And Neglect
Defendant:
Anaheim Behavior Treatment Center, Inc.
Venue:
Orange County
Valentine Law Group obtained a partial settlement of $1,000,000.00 for the family of Anne Marie Freundt, a developmentally disabled adult, after she suffered a preventable death from choking.
“Ms. Freundt, a dependent adult, was under the care of a day care center for developmentally disabled individuals, which was responsible for her safety and well-being. Ms. Freundt had a known tendency to overstuff her mouth with food, which caused her to choke. Therefore, she required one-on-one supervision while they were eating. The facility staff did not provide one-on-one supervision. The disabled adult overstuffed her mouth, began choking, and suffered an untimely death due to asphyxiation. The day care center staff attempted to conceal that the individual had choked. A prior defendant adult had also choked while in the care of the same adult day care center.”
$995,000.00
SETTLEMENT
Dependent Adult Abuse And Neglect
A dependent adult lived in a board and care facility. The adult shared a room with a roommate who suffered from mental and emotional disorders which resulted in violent outbursts. Despite several signs that the roommate could be a danger to the adult, the facility staff did nothing to protect the resident from her roommate’s outbursts. As a result of this, the dependent adult was violently killed by her roommate.
$985,000.00
SETTLEMENT
Elder Abuse, Neglect, And Wrongful Death
Defendant:
Family Villa Home Care
Venue:
Orange County
Valentine Law Group obtained a settlement of $985,000.00 for the family of 86-year old Edith Kirschner after her death following her residency at Family Villa Home Care, a residential care facility for the elderly.
Ms. Kirschner had dementia and, as her disease progressed, her children moved her to Family Villa Home Care. It was alleged that she was left alone and upon trying to get up unassisted she fell and fractured her hip. Contrary to the facility’s protocol, emergency services were not called until hours after her fall. It was further alleged, that prior to calling emergency assistance, Ms. Kirschner was transferred from the floor to a chair and onto her injured hip and then relocated again to her bed, all conduct against facility policy.
Unfortunately, Ms. Kirschner was not able to overcome her injuries, and died allegedly from complications arising from her mistreatment at Family Villa.
$900,000.00
SETTLEMENT
Dependent Adult Abuse And Neglect
Defendant:
Rancho Specialty Hospital (Long Term Acute Care Hospital)
Venue:
San Bernardino County
Valentine Law Group obtained a settlement of $900,000.00 for the mother of an adult child with psychological disorders following his admission to a Long-Term Acute Care Hospital.
It was alleged that during the course of the patient’s stay the facility, and as a result of their neglect of the plaintiff, he suffered numerous severe bedsores, one of which served as the entrance for a blood severe infection, causing his death. During the course of litigation, counsel revealed that the hospital was insufficiently staffed to meet the needs of their patients, and the Director of nursing admitted the nursing staff made mistakes in their treatment of the patient’s skin condition.
A dependent adult was under the care of a day care center for developmentally disabled individuals, which was responsible for their safety and well-being. The disabled adult had a known tendency to overstuff their mouth with food, which caused them to choke. Therefore, the adult required one-on-one supervision while they were eating. The facility staff did not provide one-on-one supervision. The disabled adult overstuffed their mouth, began choking, and suffered an untimely death due to asphyxiation. The day cate center staff attempted to conceal that the individual had choked. A prior defendant adult had also choked while in the care of the same adult day care center.
$800,000.00
SETTLEMENT
Elder Abuse, Neglect, And Wrongful Death
Defendant:
Citrus Nursing Center
(Skilled Nursing Facility)
Venue:
San Bernardino County
Valentine Law Group obtained a settlement of $800,000.00 for the children of a deceased 84-year-old resident of a nursing home in San Bernardino County.
It was alleged that decedent was admitted to a skilled nursing facility, Citrus Nursing Center, in 2005 for skilled nursing care following a number of strokes and congestive heart failure. In light of her condition, Citrus Nursing Center noted she was a fall risk, and mandated the use of a Hoyer Lift in order to transfer the decedent from her bed or wheelchair, and required the presence of two employees to assist with all transfers.
Despite these known risks, Citrus Nursing Center frequently transferred decedent without the assistance of two employees, and the family expressed concerns on a number of occasions. During the course of her residency, decedent suffered a number of unexplained injuries, as well as repeated urinary tract infections as the result of delayed call light response times.
Finally, a single certified nursing assistant, while attempting to transfer the decedent without assistance, dropped decedent on her head, resulting in her death nine days later from blunt force head injuries.
$565,000.00
SETTLEMENT
Elder Abuse, Neglect, And Wrongful Death
Defendant:
Flowers Residential Care Facility for Seniors
Venue:
Los Angeles
Valentine Law Group represented an elderly woman who resided in a residential care facility for the elderly located in Los Angeles County. The woman developed pressure ulcers and endured pain and suffering due to the facility’s lack of care. Valentine Law Group pursued vigorous litigation and obtained a settlement for the woman and her family in the amount of $565,000.00.
A resident of a skilled nursing facility was neglected and developed multiple Stage 4 pressure ulcers. The resident was subsequently admitted to other facilities and was neglected and deprived of necessary care at each facility, causing their pressure ulcers to worsen and eventually merge into one giant wound on their sacrum. The resident also developed osteomyelitis (infection of the bone.) The resident suffered an untimely death due to sepsis.
$477, 000.00
Arbitration
Medical Malpractice
After undergoing a laser surgery to improve their vision, the patient’s vision worsened instead. It was later discovered that the laser used in the surgery was too powerful and caused lasting and permanent damage to the patient’s vision.
CONFIDENTIAL
SETTLEMENT
Elder Abuse, Neglect, And Wrongful Death
A resident at an assisted living facility was left outside to smoke a cigarette without required supervision and assistance from staff, resulting in the resident setting themselves on fire. The facility failed to have a smoking policy and despite prior risk factors did not put in place proper interventions. The patient died from injuries related to this incident.
CONFIDENTIAL
SETTLEMENT
Elder Abuse, Neglect, And Wrongful Death
An elderly patient at a long term acute care hospital was neglected and deprived care. The elder patient developed a severe gangrene infection in their hand which resulted in the patient’s untimely death from septic shock. The gangrene was not timely identified or treated by medical staff.
CONFIDENTIAL
SETTLEMENT
Elder Abuse, Neglect, And Wrongful Death
A patient of a skilled nursing facility developed an intestinal leak and infection which went unnoticed by staff for numerous days because staff failed to assess and monitor the patient as required. The patient was neglected, became severely dehydrated, and became dependent on a ventilator. This led to the patient suffering from an untimely death due to dehydration and sepsis.
CONFIDENTIAL
SETTLEMENT
Elder Abuse, Neglect, And Wrongful Death
A patient at a skilled nursing facility was neglected when caregivers did not turn and reposition them and provide care for an already-existing pressure ulcer on their back. The pressure ulcer grew to become 14” by 10” in diameter and became infected. As a result, the patient suffered an untimely death due to sepsis. The existence and extent of the wound deterioration was concealed from the patient’s family.
CONFIDENTIAL
SETTLEMENT
Elder Abuse, Neglect, And Wrongful Death
A veteran with dementia who was unable to perform their activities of daily living developed pressure ulcers on their scrotum while staying at an acute care hospital prior to transfer to a skilled nursing facility. At the facility, their nutritional needs were not met and they was deprived of basic needed care. This led to severe malnutrition and the resident’s untimely death.
CONFIDENTIAL
SETTLEMENT
Elder Abuse, Neglect, And Wrongful Death
An elderly resident at a skilled nursing facility needed assistance walking and standing. The elder fell several times at the facility, including while being transferred to and from their wheelchair and while toileting. The elder was found unresponsive in bed and had visible bruising on their head and body. The elder was taken to a hospital, where they died due to the blunt force trauma.
CONFIDENTIAL
SETTLEMENT
Elder Abuse, Neglect, And Wrongful Death
An elderly resident entered a skilled nursing facility after surgery. While in the facility, the resident suffered a ruptured duodenal ulcer, which caused their abdomen to be filled with fluid. The resident developed sepsis and suffered an untimely and painful death. The facility staff did not provide the necessary care to appropriately assess, report, or respond to the symptoms of the rupture.
CONFIDENTIAL
SETTLEMENT
Elder Abuse, Neglect, And Wrongful Death
A resident at a skilled nursing facility developed pressure ulcers that were not identified in a timely manner. Because of this, the ulcers were not adequately treated and resulted in a massive deterioration of the resident’s skin and muscle tissue. This led to their untimely and painful death.
CONFIDENTIAL
SETTLEMENT
Elder Abuse, Neglect, And Wrongful Death
A patient was admitted to a long-term acute hospital with multiple comorbidities. A gastronomy tube was placed in the patient, but it was not properly verified and as a result the patient became obtunded. The patient has no blood pressure, but facility staff did not call for a “code blue” for a significant period of time. This resulted in the patient’s untimely death.
CONFIDENTIAL
SETTLEMENT
Elder Abuse, Neglect, And Wrongful Death
A patient with atrial fibrillation was transferred to a skilled nursing facility. The patient’s anticoagulant medicine was discontinued due to a transcription error in a medical report that was not identified nor corrected by multiple health providers. As a result of this error, the patient died.
CONFIDENTIAL
SETTLEMENT
Dependent Adult Abuse And Neglect
A dependent adult with mental and emotional disorders was under the care of a facility that provided housing, care, and supervision. As the result of a denial of supervision, the individual was allowed to elope, only to be discovered several miles from their home without clothes and having suffered a severe bodily injury. Subsequent discovery found that years of neglect had resulted in deterioration of their mental health.
CONFIDENTIAL
SETTLEMENT
Medical Malpractice
An expectant mother was hospitalized for conditions that could have negatively affected her pregnancy. The physicians planned to deliver the baby at 34 weeks. Around Week 32 of the pregnancy, the mother showed clear signs of inflammation to a bacterial infection. However, the physicians decided not to deliver the baby. The baby was born stillborn.
CONFIDENTIAL
SETTLEMENT
Medical Malpractice
A patient underwent a nephrectomy (removal of a kidney.) As a result of errors in the procedure, the patient lost the use of their other kidney and became paralyzed from the waist down.
CONFIDENTIAL
SETTLEMENT
Elder Neglect
Elder living at home developed fluid retention in their extremities. After a short acute care admission they were admitted to an RCFE. The patient upon admission had a small skin abrasion that is a “restricted health condition” and required management by an outside home health agency. Despite knowledge of the wound, defendant RCFE did not secure timely wound care or treatment, but rather tried to care for the wound themselves, despite not being a licensed health care provider. The wound worsened, eventually becoming necrotic and infected yet nothing was done until the patient became septic and was transferred back to the acute care hospital. The wound had grown to the size of a grapefruit with depth to the bone. Resolved for full value available under defendants insurance policy.
CONFIDENTIAL
SETTLEMENT
Dependent Adult Abuse & Neglect
Developmentally delayed adult with mental age and function of a three-year-old and who was a resident of an adult residential facility was physically assaulted by facility staff resulting in physical injuries and significant regression in behavior treatment and management. Further inquiry revealed resident was denied necessary treatment of his behavioral conditions over a period of years, resulting in worsening functional decline and diminished quality of life. Resolved for insurance policy limits.
CONFIDENTIAL
SETTLEMENT
Elder Abuse & Neglect
Elder patient was transferred to a skilled nursing facility following a motor vehicle collision and was identified as being at high risk for the development of pressure ulcers. Over the course of their admission to the defendant skilled nursing facility, patient was denied turning and repositioning as well as other required care resulting in the development of a stage IV pressure ulcer to their buttocks and requiring multiple surgeries and extensive medical care and treatment over more than a year in an effort to heal the wound. Seven figure resolution.
CONFIDENTIAL
SETTLEMENT
Elder Abuse & Neglect
Action brought on behalf of elder resident against Residential Care Facility for the Elderly, physician, and hospice care provider. Resident was bedbound and completely dependent on defendants to meet their care needs, and defendants knew resident was at high risk for the development of pressure ulcers. Despite this knowledge, resident was denied need care, including turning and repositioning, proper nutrition and hydration, and provision of needed equipment (e.g., low loss air mattress, heel protectors), resulting in the development of multiple Stage IV pressure ulcers to resident’s sacrum and heels requiring extensive hospitalization and treatment. Resolved for insurance policy limits.
CONFIDENTIAL
SETTLEMENT
Elder Abuse & Neglect; Wrongful Death
Patient at skilled nursing facility with known risk for falls was neglected and allowed to fall on at least five occasions during the course of admission, many resulting in injury. The patient’s fifth and final fall resulted in a hip fracture. Based upon the severity of the hip injury, resident was given a terminal prognosis and died shortly thereafter. Seven figure resolution
CONFIDENTIAL
SETTLEMENT
Elder neglect, wrongful death
Elderly Resident died from sepsis and septic shock while a resident at a Residential Care Facility for the Elderly. The patient had been lived at home and underwent a hip fracture surgery which brought them to the RCFE to regain their strength. Outside home health nurses documented concerns about the patients care in the RCFE home. They commented on observing the resident being left in soiled diapers and not being moved at all by staff. Finally, when the resident became seriously ill and tried to use their call light, no one came to assist them. They then used their cell phone to call the front desk of the facility to ask for help. Again no one came. During litigation it was learned the facility was severely understaffed. Multiple six figure resolution.
CONFIDENTIAL
SETTLEMENT
Auto v. auto
84 year old passenger rear ended at approximately 40mph. Suffered multiple broken ribs, broken sternum, chance fracture of spine, collapsed lung and internal bleeding. Underinsured motorist claim resolved for full value available through underinsured policy.
CONFIDENTIAL
SETTLEMENT
Medical Negligence
5 year old with a prior brain tumor which had been successfully resected. Shunt placement in the brain was required to manage intracranial pressure. Patient developed symptoms of shunt obstruction, but defendant surgeon refused to listen to the patients family or other physicians regarding the patients condition. Finally, at the recommendation of another physician, the patient’s family attempted to have the patient transferred but just before the transfer, minor patient suffered a brain herniation resulting in death. Settled at full value allowed under the MICRA law.