California Nursing Home Sued For Patient’s Death
October 6 , 2006
A La Jolla nursing home is being sued by the three daughters of a patient who died of drug poisoning after the facility failed to adequately monitor her medication.
Maria Tirado, 79, died January 18 after suffering from massive hemorrhaging in the brain. A month earlier, a local hospital physician prescribed her Coumadin, an anti-coagulant, and ordered blood tests to monitor the drug.
According to the lawsuit, the nursing home failed to follow the physician’s order to monitor Tirado with blood tests, causing her to die as a result. A state investigation of the La Jolla Nursing and Rehabilitation Center found no records of lab tests.
“This woman was literally poisoned to death because they gave her a medication that, if not monitored, will in fact poison an individual,” said attorney for the daughters, Dwight Ritter.
The nursing home subsequently received the state’s most severe penalty, which carries a $94,000 fine.
The daughters, who filed the suit against the home last month, are seeking unspecified damages, including punitive damages and wrongful death. However, the daughters are also looking for some answers.
“Their first concern is to determine how this was allowed to occur and to find the individuals and corporations that were responsible for not having a process that would prevent this kind of death,” said Ritter.
He added, “They’re most concerned that this doesn’t happen to someone else.”
If you suspect that your loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, you need to ensure that your legal rights are protected. Please contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer who can explain your legal rights and options.
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