Stalwart Law Group Obtains Groundbreaking Verdict in Elder Neglect Case
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- An 89-year-old woman who fell, broke her neck, and sustained head trauma while living at a residential care facility for the elderly was awarded $5.5 million by a Van Nuys, CA jury, the largest verdict of its kind in city history, for the reckless abuse and neglect she suffered at the hands of her care providers.
"California law requires staff assisting residents with activities of basic living to have a minimum of 40 hours of training specific to dementia and other geriatric issues, something that AvantGarde Senior Living In Tarzana, CA failed to do with its staff," said lead plaintiff attorney Brian Poulter, with Stalwart Law Group. "AvantGarde provides an extremely valuable service to the community but with that comes a huge responsibility to follow the law and protect all senior residents and not just some of them."
On June 9, 2018, Sherril Phillips moved into AvantGarde Senior Living, a residential care facility for the elderly. Sherril had mild dementia, but was still functional, only needing assistance with her activities of daily living. Sherril's daughter, Lydia Phillips, contracted with AvantGarde for their assistance with basic care. On July 24, 2018, Sherril suffered her first fall and was monitored for a concussion, but the staff failed to call her daughter to tell her what had happened. The next day as she was being walked down the hall by the Activities Coordinator, the staff member became distracted and negligently left Sherril's side. Sherril's walker hit the wall and she fell, breaking her neck in three places and suffering head trauma.
Before moving in, Sherril underwent two separate evaluations to determine her baseline physical and cognitive limitations. Sherril was able to communicate her needs, follow instructions, and participate in all social activities. Now she is a prisoner in her own body and incapable of having meaningful relationships with her family. Due to the fall, Sherril sustained a broken neck, head trauma, and will require care for the rest of her life.
The plaintiff's legal team includes Stalwart Law Group's Brian Poulter, Dylan Ruga, Allen Haroutounian, and Eli McArthur. Stalwart Law Group is a boutique civil litigation firm that specializes in commercial litigation, legal malpractice, intellectual property litigation, employment litigation, and catastrophic injury. http://stalwartlaw.com
Contact:
Stalwart Law Group
(310) 954-2000
[email protected]
SOURCE Stalwart Law Group
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