Family Sues for Nursing Home Falls and Wrongful Death

As Maryland Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorneys, we have been following a lawsuit in which a 65-year old paralyzed patient in a nursing home was allegedly dropped to the floor twice. Her family claims that the second nursing home fall resulted in her wrongful death.

According to the lawsuit, Adriana Neagoe fainted in front of her church and was diagnosed with a brain tumor. After surgery to treat the tumor left her body paralyzed with the ability to only move one arm, her family decided on Midway Nursing Home in Queens, New York for her care.

In the spring of 2008, Neagoe’s family was told that she had fallen from her bed, a bed that is protected by guardrails. Her family claims in the suit that she couldn’t have fallen, as she was paralyzed. The resident needed constant care—to be lifted up for bathing, and so the sheets could be changed.

Neagoe reportedly told her family that they dropped her on her head, from five feet up in the air. After she experienced the second nursing home fall, she was rushed to the hospital, where she died six days later from severe head injuries. Her family claims her death was caused from complications of these falls, due to nursing home negligence.

The New York State Health Department reportedly showed that in recent years, Midway Nursing Home has a record of 43.5 incidents and nursing home complaints for every 100 beds. This amount doubles the statewide average of complaints, at 24.4. Both nursing home falls were not reported to the State Department of Health, and the nursing home is currently under investigation.

The nursing home sent the family a final bill for $51,749 after her Neagoe’s death. The family claims that the nursing home’s negligence killed Neagoe, and they are suing for a reversal of the final bill, and for punitive damages.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 1,800 people living in nursing homes die in this country each year from falls.

If you suspect that a friend or loved one in a Maryland or Washington D.C. nursing facility has experienced nursing home negligence, injury, or wrongful death due to a nursing home fall, contact the attorneys at Lebowitz and Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation, so we can help you receive the compensation that you deserve.

Nursing Home Mystery: What Killed Adriana Neagoe?, NBC New York, January 21, 2010
Midway Nursing Home Subject of State Investigation, Queens Ledger, January 26, 2010

Related Web Resources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: (CDC), Falls in Nursing Homes

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