An Orange County nursing home operator has been handed a $671-million fine by a jury in Humboldt County for understaffing several of its facilities, which resulted in substandard care. The Daily Breeze reports that a class action lawsuit against Skilled Healthcare Group Inc. alleged that the company violated California laws that make it mandatory for nursing homes to provide 3.2 nursing hours per patient per day. Lack of adequate skilled nursing staff in such facilities is said to be one of the main causes of nursing home negligence and abuse in the United States.
Jury Award
Jurors in this case awarded about 32,000 plaintiffs $613 million in statutory damages and $58 million in restitution. The punitive damages portion of this class action lawsuit is still pending. Plaintiffs alleged in the class action that the nursing homes were not provided proper care to their residents because they kept their facilities deliberately understaffed in order to boost or maintain profits. This resulted in serious violations that had the potential to cause personal injury or even death to residents.
Class Action Lawsuits
This case is an example of how a class-action lawsuit can result in victory for consumers. This particular case shows that our civil justice system works very well especially when it comes to holding wrongdoers accountable for their actions. It is a well-known fact that for-profit nursing homes deliberately keep their staffing levels low. Nurse's aides, who have little or no experience, tend do perform tedious jobs that require skill, training and tenacity. As a result, patients in these nursing homes get neglected or even abused by frustrated, underpaid nurses or inexperienced aides.
The drive to maximize profits motivates these companies to cut corners and shortchange the consumers who put them in business in the first place. It is wrong to allow these nursing homes to thrive by exploiting those who are among the most vulnerable sections of our society – senior citizens. When juries send a strong message to understaffing nursing homes, it will hopefully deter others from taking a similar route in the future. If your loved one is a victim of nursing home neglect, please contact an experienced California personal injury lawyer for more information about how to pursue your rights.
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