Feb. 21, 2013
The family of a 65-year-old woman killed due to nursing home negligence has settled a Wisconsin wrongful death lawsuit filed in connection to the incident, but hundreds of other patients face similar cases of neglect and abuse each year. A story from the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism discussed the problem and what actions victims and their families can take if an incident of abuse or neglect takes place.
In March 2008, the female victim was checked into a nursing home in Mayville, Wisconsin. The woman suffered from hypotension that caused her to lose her balance and become dizzy when she attempted to stand on her own.
Four days after check in, the woman hit a call button that went unanswered. When she attempted to stand and walk on her own, she fell and hit her head. The impact of the blow left the woman with serious injuries and resulted in her death.
The family filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging that the facility had acted negligently in not responding to the call button in a timely manner. They claimed that this directly resulted in the woman’s death.
The Wisconsin Personal Injury Lawyers at the law firm of Sigman, Janssen, Sewall, Pitz & Burkham understand how devastating the loss of a loved one due to another’s negligence can be, and they hope the settlement will bring a sense of closure to the family of the victim.