2011 Consumer Attorneys of the Year Needham, Crowley, Burroughs, Griego, Thamer, Healey

W. Timothy Needham, Michael J. Crowley, Amelia F. Burroughs, Patrik Griego, Michael D. Thamer and Christopher J. Healey
Vinnie Lavender, et al., v. Skilled Healthcare Group, Inc., et al.

FORCING NURSING HOMES TO PROVIDE REQUIRED MINIMUM STAFFING

This suit was filed on behalf of 32,000 residents, former residents and family members of residents of 22 California nursing facilities owned by Skilled Healthcare Group, the nation's fifth-largest nursing home chain. The suit came after a number of wrongful death claims in which attorneys learned the underlying cause for many of the deaths was inadequate staffing. The attorneys presented evidence that Skilled regularly failed to meet minimum staffing requirements under the California Health and Safety Code and sought damages up to the maximum allowed under the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act. The trial lasted seven months, during which 150 witnesses were called and more than 5,000 exhibits were introduced. This was the first class action on nursing home understaffing to be tried to a verdict, which was the largest ever in a case against a nursing home chain. Before punitive damages could be decided, the case was resolved with the inclusion of an injunction under which Skilled Healthcare is paying for a court-appointed monitor to ensure it meets minimum staffing requirements. The verdict has caused nursing homes throughout California to re-evaluate their staffing levels.

This video was produced by Juris Productions.

Category:

News & Politics