A.G. suffered from Parkinson's disease and was admitted to a St. Louis County skilled nursing facility.  Upon admission to the facility, A.G. was ambulatory, enjoyed being active and liked to walk and move about the facility.  The facility was aware that A.G. was at risk for falling due to the effects of Parkinson's disease.  Further complicating his situation and increasing his risk of falling were the side effects of Atenolol, which had the capacity to cause lethargy, drowsiness, and dizziness.    Physician orders required that facility employees check A.G.'s apical-radical pulse before administering the Atenolol.  If his pulse rate was below sixty beats per minute, the drug was to be withheld and the prescribing physician notified.  Promises were made by the facility that they understood the physician's orders related to the Atenolol as well as the combination of complications experienced by A.G. and that they had the staffing volume and experience necessary to keep A.G. safe.

During his residency, facility staff members often allowed A.G. to walk unassisted and unmonitored, resulting in 26 separate falls.  Sadly, eight months after he became a resident, A.G. died.  In the last fall, he suffered a broken hip.  Four days went by before the facility sent A.G. to a hospital for x-rays.  During those four days, A.G. was in excruciating pain.  Upon diagnosing a broken hip, the physician recommended that the hip be surgically repaired, to which his wife readily agreed. Unfortunately, two weeks later, A.G. developed pneumonia and died.

A.G.'s widow initiated a lawsuit against the nursing home facility for the wrongful death of her husband.  During the course of the lawsuit, it was learned that A.G. not only experienced numerous falls, but also that employees regularly failed to check A.G.'s apical-radial pulse before administering drugs that contributed to his instability, thus increasing the likelihood that he would fall.

The parties settled the case at a mediation for a confidential amount.

Return to Recent Results.