A decision was made in the wrongful death civil action involving a 69-year-old citizen of Trumbull County.
The jury returned with the highest verdict ever against a care facility in Ohio after hearing all the evidence. The jury awarded $20 million for wrongful death, $500,000 for breaches of Ohio law pertaining to resident rights, and $500,000 for pain and suffering. The jury awarded the family $26 million in total for the wrongful death lawsuit, plus an additional $5 million in punitive penalties.
At the age of 19, the man was shot in the head, leaving him permanently crippled and blind. In November 2019, he needs carers to be available around the clock. Like many patients with traumatic brain injuries, he required assistance while eating to ensure that he digested each meal thoroughly and took little bits. He had terrible impulse control, according to the family, and would gobble up his meals if not fed.
Signature Healthcare of Warren was not monitoring the guy when he was dining alone in his room, as they were supposed to be due to systematic understaffing and poor management.
The Trumbull County Common Pleas Court hosted the trial. The jury was composed of Trumbull County citizens, who were complimented by the dead man's family for their devotion and perseverance during the trial.
The guy aspirated on November 25, 2019, when he was alone himself, meaning that food became stuck in his airway unintentionally, making him gag and have trouble breathing. The guy allegedly drowned in his own vomit as the nursing home personnel, in spite of discovering him in distress and ill, waited 42 minutes to call an ambulance, according to the inquiry into the event.
According to the lawyer, despite the best efforts of the hospital's medical team, the guy passed away from multi-organ failure and septic shock.
