A Butler County, Ohio nursing home wrongful death jury awarded the family of an 83-year-old resident of Chesterwood Village nursing home $12.5 million for the wrongful death of the resident from injuries she suffered as a result of a fall and being dropped by nursing home staff.
According to the family’s lawsuit, Janice Combs was blind but living independently when she fell down steps in her home. She was admitted to Chesterwood Village in June 2023 for short-term rehabilitation. Chesterwood Village transferred the resident to a geriatric hospital for confusion; she returned to Chesterwood Village several days later.
The same day she returned to Chesterwood Village, she suffered minor injuries when she fell from her wheelchair. Later that same day, nursing home staff were transferring her from a wheelchair to her bed when they allegedly dropped her. According to the family’s lawsuit, paramedics discovered that the resident had suffered injury to the back of her head and they allegedly observed blood in her room that had not been documented by the nursing home staff. At the hospital, medical staff discovered that the woman had suffered a severe brain bleed. She died almost ten months later.
After a nine-day trial, the Ohio nursing home negligence jury found that Chesterwood Village and its corporate operators had breached the standard of care, they violated Ohio’s Nursing Home Residents’ Bill of Rights, and that their actions caused the resident’s death.
Chesterwood Advanced Therapy and Nursing Care issued the following statement after the jury’s verdict:
“We are aware of the recent preliminary verdict in a case involving events that occurred several years ago under a prior clinical leadership team. We strongly disagree with the verdict and are reviewing our legal options, including an appeal. Because the legal process remains ongoing, we cannot comment further on specific allegations.
“Our commitment to providing compassionate, high-quality care to our residents remains unchanged. The Chesterwood Advanced Therapy Center continues to maintain a 5-Star rating from Medicare, including a 5-Star Quality Measure rating, and it has also been recognized with the AHCA/NCAL Bronze National Quality Award, reflecting both the high standard of care our team delivers and our commitment to continuous improvement.
“We remain focused on what matters most—providing compassionate, high-quality care for our residents, supporting our families, and continuing to earn the trust of the communities we serve.”
If you or a loved one suffered injuries (or worse) while a resident of a nursing home in Ohio or in another U.S. state due to UTI, bedsores/pressure ulcers, nursing home neglect, nursing home negligence, nursing home abuse, nursing home understaffing, a nursing home fall, nursing home choking death, or the nursing home failing to properly care for a vulnerable adult, you should promptly find a nursing home claim lawyer in Ohio (Ohio medical malpractice lawyer) or a nursing home claim lawyer in your state who may investigate your nursing home claim for you and file a nursing home claim on your behalf or behalf of your loved one, if appropriate.
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