Kentucky Injury Attorney Blog

In the spring of 2012, Extendicare, a company that operated 21 nursing homes in Kentucky, stated its intent to lease all of the homes to a Texas company. Their reasons were that too many lawsuits were filed against them in Kentucky and that the state was not looking into tort reform to limit the amount of damages a plaintiff could be awarded in a nursing home abuse or negligence case.

Because of the number of lawsuits filed against just one of their long-term care facilities, Kenwood Health and Rehabilitation in Madison County, it is understandable why they would want to no longer operate this Kentucky nursing home. But based on the information reported by the Richmond Register, we think the high number of lawsuits is not because Kentuckians are more likely to file cases, but rather that the company was providing substandard care to its residents. The accusations of the five wrongful death lawsuits and one negligence suit filed in 2012 read like a laundry list of signs of nursing home abuse and neglect.

The first wrongful death case states the victim had bed sores, infections, was injured by falling, was malnourished and dehydrated, and eventually died. The second case also suffered from malnutrition and dehydration, but was also not treated promptly for a broken hip and was not given proper medication. Her suit alleges that the lack of proper care caused her health to deteriorate more quickly and led to an earlier death. Case number three says a resident's health was allowed to decline at the nursing home so drastically that he ended up in intensive care in a hospital with sepsis, dehydration, and renal failure, and he passed away 43 days later. The other cases allege similar neglect at the nursing home and two of the three victims have died. The last resident still lives at the facility.

Continue reading "Company Faces Numerous Kentucky Nursing Home Wrongful Death, Negligence Suits" »

Product recalls on cars are not uncommon. Considering the thousands of parts that go into each car or truck, it is understandable that an issue might arise after the cars have been sold and are being driven on a daily basis. Most issues are found before they cause any major damage or injuries, and recall notices are sent to everyone who owns the cars in question so the problem can be fixed.

A recent Ford recall encompasses thousands of cars built at the Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky. Over 8,000 Ford Escapes built at the Fern Valley, Kentucky plant between March and June 2012 have been recalled because of a carpet issue. Misplaced carpet padding could interfere with the driver's ability to switch from the accelerator to the brake. A Ford spokesperson said the problem was found internally and that no car accidents have been reported as a result of the issue.

While it appears that Ford is handling this current recall properly, that may not be the case in an earlier recall. In December 2004, Ford recalled around 590,000 Ford Escapes and Mazda Tributes because a liner around a cable could interfere with the accelerator and cause it to get stuck. The majority of owners of the cars in question had their cars repaired. Then in October 2005, Ford sent a new set of instructions regarding the previous recall to the dealers telling them to be careful not to damage the cruise control cable during the repair. This information was sent only to the dealers, not to the car owners, so anyone who had already had their cars repaired did not know there might be an additional issue.

Continue reading "Incorrect Ford Escape Recall May Have Contributed to 17-Year-Old's Car Accident Death" »

It seems as if the majority of the U.S. has been sweltering in record-breaking heat the last couple weeks, and Kentucky residents are no exception. Louisville, Kentucky has had nine days with temperatures over 100 degrees and we are not even to the middle of July yet. It is important for everyone to be careful in this heat. Try not to stay out in the heat for extended periods of time; head for shade as much as possible if you have to be out; drink plenty of fluids; never leave anyone, people or dogs, in cars without the air conditioning running.

This information has been in the newspaper for the last several days. Something else that has been in the paper under this subject is the reminder to check on elderly relatives. While the articles were most likely talking about seniors who live on their own, it is also important to check on those who live in nursing homes or assisted living facilities.

In South Carolina, a nursing home resident died on June 30, 2012. The investigators believe her death was heat related and are awaiting the autopsy report. Family members of the victim said they visited her earlier in the day and the nursing home was hot. They did not see any air-conditioners in any of the rooms. The family went back to the nursing home the day after her death and there were air-conditioners in every room. The county coroner said it appeared that one of the air-conditioning units was not working on the day she died. The nursing home director said it was working but it just could not keep up with the heat. If the autopsy confirms her death was heat related, the family may be able to file a wrongful death suit against the nursing home because it was negligent in taking care of the resident.

Continue reading "Heat is Dangerous to Loved Ones in Kentucky Nursing Homes" »

There are many Kentucky residents who are unable to live alone, yet don't need the complete care offered by nursing homes. Assisted living is an option usually offered to senior residents. They live fairly independently in a small apartment or efficiency that is attached to the rest of the facility. They can have meals in the dining hall and their apartments are outfitted with pull cords that can be used if they need help. Younger people, however, tend to live in group homes if they are unable to completely care for themselves. A group home normally houses several adults with various disabilities and is overseen by an employee that lives at the home. Group home residents usually have their own room and are able to maintain some of their independence while being kept safe by the live-in caregiver.

Unfortunately that was not the case for a 35-year-old man who lived in a group home in Paint Lick, Kentucky. He suffered the effects of fetal alcohol syndrome and was unable to live on his own. In June, 2011, he was attacked by the home's caregiver - the one who was supposed to keep him safe from harm. The 22-year-old caregiver kicked and beat the victim who died from his injuries at a hospital.

The victim's father has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the employee who killed the victim and the company that ran the home, which was closed shortly after the incident. The suit claims that Community Ties is guilty of negligence because it "failed, refused or neglected to perform their duties to provide reasonable and adequate care" for the victim. The employee named in the lawsuit has already pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and is awaiting his sentencing. While a guilty or not guilty finding in a criminal case does not always determine the outcome of a civil case, the fact that he pleaded guilty in the criminal case is certainly helpful for the victim's attorney in the civil case.

Continue reading "Wrongful Death Suit Filed Against Kentucky Group Home" »