Baltimore jury awards $1.5M in nursing home bed sore case

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A Baltimore City jury awarded $1.5 million in damages to the estate of a deceased Baltimore nursing home resident in a negligence and medical malpractice lawsuit.

On Thursday, a jury before the Baltimore City Circuit Court found Rose Anderson, as the personal representative for the estate of Nelson Anderson, should be awarded $1.5 million in her claim against Autumn Lake Healthcare at Alice Manor that alleged the facility was negligent in the care and treatment of Nelson Anderson and caused the injuries that led to his death.

According to the complaint, Anderson died in May 2021 from a bone infection at the base of his spine caused by pressure wounds that allegedly developed as a result of nursing home staff failing to turn and reposition him. Anderson also developed a stage 4 pressure ulcer, court records state.

The complaint alleged the nursing home experienced understaffing and inadequate staffing and “maximized profits from operation of the facility by underfunding and understaffing the facility.”

In addition to staffing concerns, the complaint detailed numerous allegations of the nursing home’s alleged negligence, including the staff’s failure to treat Anderson’s wounds, recognize Anderson had a high pressure wound risk and implement safety precautions.

“These practices road-blocked the facility’s ability to provide healthcare in a manner than enables it to use its resources effectively and efficiently to attain or maintain decedent’s highest practicable physical, mental, and psychological well-being,” the complaint said.

Autumn Lake Healthcare at Alice Manor claimed Anderson’s underlying health conditions caused his pressure ulcer and death and denied each allegation.

Counsel for Autumn Lake Healthcare at Alice Manor did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

Anderson was admitted to Autumn Lake Healthcare at Alice Manor in January 2019. According to the complaint, Anderson had limited mobility which made him susceptible to pressure wounds if he is not turned and repositioned.

Reza Davani, counsel for Rose Anderson, said he felt relieved after hearing the jury’s verdict.

“These people’s lives are worth more — it’s not worth less because they’re older — it’s worth more,” Davani said. “When there’s less life to live, each remaining moment is worth more, and so you’re taking more from these folks.”

Davani described the nursing home’s lack of turning and repositioning Anderson as “egregious.”

“You don’t get a stage 4 bed sore by the nursing home missing one turn,” Davani said. “What we’re talking about with this significant of an injury, it’s an ungodly amount of the patient just being abandoned and left in that position over and over again.”

Davani said he told the jury during closing arguments that it had a chance to provide justice for Anderson.

“The nursing home tried to write the last chapter of this man’s life, and the people and the community got to rewrite that last chapter with their verdict sheet,” Davani said. “They gave this man true justice.”