Toronto Lawyers Announce $25 Million COVID-19 Class Action Against Seniors Facility, Villa Colombo

TORONTO, Sept. 10, 2020 /CNW/ - National Personal Injury Firm, Diamond and Diamond, has partnered with Jillian M. Siskind and Associates in a class action suit seeking justice for COVID-19 victims. A new claim has been filed on behalf of deceased residents (and their families) formerly housed at Villa Colombo retirement facilities.

The lawsuit claims aggregate damages of $25 million, as well as punitive damages in the amount of $10 million. Representative Plaintiff, Domenica Gusciglio, heads the growing class. Gusciglio lost her Mother, Anne Sforza, due to negligence at the hands of the long-term care facility. Self-described as "the heart of the GTA's Italian community", the facility seeks to enrich its residents' lives through services that honour their Italian heritage.

The class action is brought forth on behalf of all persons who have lived, or are currently living, at Villa Colombo Seniors Centre. The class also includes the families of these individuals who may seek associated damages. The estimated size of the class and subclass is unknown at this time but is estimated to be in the hundreds of individuals.

"In speaking to the Plaintiffs I learned that they selected this particular facility because they were proud of their heritage," said Darryl Singer, Head of Commercial and Civil litigation at Diamond and Diamond Lawyers. "The facility promised to treat residents as family but this is not borne out by the facts of this case."  

The plaintiffs allege that the facilities lacked both proper sanitation protocols and directives, as well as strategies for containment of the virus. The action also alleges that measures to keep residents safe were not communicated to families of residents. As such, there was a failure to mitigate against potential infection of COVID-19.

"So many families like mine trusted that our most vulnerable loved ones, our Nonnas and Nonnos, would be protected and cared for at Villa Colombo and by the guidelines put in place by Public Health," said Plaintiff Domenica Gusciglio. "We are nothing short of devastated."

This is Diamond and Diamond's second COVID-19 related, class action filing against a privately-owned provider of senior care services. Earlier this year, the firm took action against both Revera Inc. (and its subsidiaries), as well as Sienna Senior Living Inc.

"All of the plaintiffs have described to me the heartbreak of having to watch their loved ones be treated with such negligent and substandard care," said Lawyer, Jillian Siskind. "They trusted this facility and feel they were let down in a very significant way."

The firms invite those who feel they have experienced insufficient care at the hands of a nursing home facility to contact Diamond and Diamond. The lawyers expect that further class action suits will be launched in the near future as the pandemic continues to spread across the nation.  

SOURCE Diamond and Diamond Lawyers