Class Action Lawsuit Charges Nursing Home Franchise With Skimping on Staff
Published: April 19th, 2010 • One Comment
A class action lawsuit against the 10th largest nursing home chain in the country claims that the for-profit company has dangerously cut nursing home staff, putting residents in danger of nursing home neglect.
The trial in the nursing home neglect lawsuit is currently underway in California’s Humboldt County Superior Court against Skilled Healthcare Group, Inc. and it’s 22 California elder care homes. The class action lawsuit represents more than 32,000 nursing home residents and was originally filed in 2006, according to a story in the Fresno Bee.
Plaintiffs charge Skilled Healthcare Group with violating California Health and Safety Code laws by failing to staff their homes at the appropriate levels. The lawsuit seeks punitive damages as well as statutory damages of $500 per resident for every day staffing levels were out of compliance. If that amount is granted, the judgment award could skyrocket into the millions. The lawsuit is under close scrutiny, because, if successful, it could mean that major nursing home chains could be held responsible for systemic staffing problems at multiple facilities.
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[...] class action lawsuit targeted the company and its 22 California nursing homes and represented more than 32,000 [...]