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LAUREL HEALTH CARE


Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer Investigating Alleged Neglect Cases
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The Lyon Firm Investigates Laurel Health Allegations

Laurel Health Care Company, founded in Westerville, Ohio, is a national provider of skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and long-term assisted living services.

Laurels operates numerous Ohio nursing homes.  The Lyon Firm is actively investigating cases where patients have alleged they have been neglected due to issues that have been a concern for many nursing homes around the country: understaffing, underqualified staff, overmedicating, and mismanagement. 

 The Firm  is available to evaluate medical records and speak with nursing home experts for families with a concern.  The fact there are allegations and investigations is not conclusive of any malpractice or maltreatment.    

However, if a nursing home is responsible for injuries and deaths resulting from abuse or neglect, they can be held liable in Ohio courts.

Joe Lyon is a highly-rated personal injury attorney with experience in injuries and deaths due to nursing home neglect and abuse.

Mr. Lyon has represented thousands of plaintiffs nationwide and throughout Ohio in a wide variety of product liability, medical negligence, wrongful death and injury claims. 

Examples of Nursing Home Neglect

  • Failure to prevent bedsores
  • Understaffing
  • Hiring underqualified staff
  • Failure to prevent fall injuries
  • Failure to properly supervise residents
  • Failure to promptly treat infections
  • Medication errors and overdoses
  • Patients left unattended and leaving facility
  • Other types of neglect and abuse

Nursing Home Neglect Injuries

  • Bed sores & decubitus ulcers
  • Bone Fractures
  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Bleeding and Bruising
  • Malnutrition
  • Dehydration
  • Infections—urinary tract infections and respiratory infections
  • Sepsis
  • Asphyxiation
  • Overmedicated related conditions
  • Other slip and fall injuries

Recent Laurel Nursing Home Incidents & Lawsuits

  • In March, 2017 a wrongful death lawsuit was filed in Ohio against The Laurels of Athens. Attorneys for the family claimed the nursing home resident did not receive appropriate care and subsequently died.
  • In Kentucky, an elderly woman escaped from a nursing home and died from exposure in January, 2017. Dorothy McKnight was a resident of Laurel Village. A lawsuit was filed, claiming staff at the nursing home were negligent in supervising the woman and that Laurel Village failed to “adequately assess, assist, care for, supervise and monitor” the resident’s activities. The facility did not follow its own policies and failed to provide adequate staff and adequately trained staff.
  • Two California lawsuits have been filed against Brius Healthcare Services, which claim understaffing at two nursing homes led to the deaths of two patients, who developed severe ulcers.
  • In an Illinois assisted care home, an 87-year-old resident was placed in a boiling hot bath, leading to severe burns. The resident received an injury settlement of $1.5 million.
  • In a health care facility in Virginia, the staff members failed to properly monitor a mentally impaired resident, leading to the death of the resident. The family received an abuse settlement of $1.5 million.

Ohio Laurel Health Care Center Locations 

  • Laurel Health Care Company—Westerville, OH,
  • Laurels of Worthington—Worthington, OH, USA
  • The Laurels of Canton—Canton, OH
  • Laurels of Massillon—Massillon, OH
  • The Laurels of Steubenville—Steubenville, OH
  • The Laurels of Toledo—Toledo, OH
  • The Laurels of Athens—Athens, OH
  • Laurels of Shane Hill—Rockford, OH
  • Laurels of Hillsboro—Hillsboro, OH
  • The Laurels of Mt. Vernon—Mt. Vernon, OH
  • The Laurels of West Carrollton—West Carrollton, OH
  • The Laurels of Defiance—Defiance, OH
  • The Laurels of Huber Heights—Dayton, OH
  • The Laurels of Blanchester—Blanchester, OH
  • The Laurels of Hilliard—Hilliard, OH
  • Laurels of Norworth—Worthington, OH
  • Laurels of Chagrin Falls—Chagrin Falls, OH
  • Laurel Lake Retirement Community—Hudson, OH
  • The Laurels of New London—New London, OH

Compensation for Nursing Home Neglect

Following an injury or death of a family member at a nursing home, it is critical to properly collect evidence and medical records to build a successful case. It is necessary to prove that a nursing facility failed to properly care for a resident and that their negligence caused the injury.

The Lyon Firm can obtain nursing home records, hire medical experts, and interview facility staff in the investigation. Nursing home negligence claims can recover compensation for pain and suffering, disability, medical expenses, and other damages, which may result in significant settlements.

CONTACT THE LYON FIRM TODAY

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ABOUT THE LYON FIRM

Joseph Lyon has 17 years of experience representing individuals in complex litigation matters. He has represented individuals in every state against many of the largest companies in the world.

The Firm focuses on single-event civil cases and class actions involving corporate neglect & fraud, toxic exposure, product defects & recalls, medical malpractice, and invasion of privacy.

NO COST UNLESS WE WIN

The Firm offers contingency fees, advancing all costs of the litigation, and accepting the full financial risk, allowing our clients full access to the legal system while reducing the financial stress while they focus on their healthcare and financial needs.

photo of attorney Joe Lyon
A Voice for Nursing Home Residents

Why are Nursing Home Neglect Cases Important?

The transition into a nursing home is difficult for both patients and their families. It is a sacrifice, and residents rely heavily on the compassion and competence of nursing home staff and management to provide the best care possible. When nursing homes fail to provide the professional care they promise, and injuries and deaths result, they may be held accountable by Ohio law.

CONTACT THE LYON FIRM TODAY

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Questions about Nursing Home Neglect Cases

What is nursing home neglect litigation?

Nursing home neglect has been a serious issue for decades now, and the management of facilities must be held accountable when instances of negligence affect your family.

If an Ohio nursing home fails to provide the professional care they have advertised, and patient injuries and deaths result, the companies may be held responsible in Ohio courts. Large settlements have resulted from the families of victims filing injury claims against Diversicare, Genesis, ManorCare and Laurel homes.

What are common types of nursing home abuse?

Nursing home neglect injuries may result from understaffing, underqualified staff, bad management and poor communication. Abuse and neglect can result in dangerous bedsores and other serious infections. Common types of nursing home abuse may include:

  • Physical Abuse
  • Safety Hazards—slips and falls
  • Improper confinement and isolation
  • Emotional Abuse
  • Intimidation
  • Failing to keep patients clean
  • Failing to prevent malnutrition
  • Sexual Assault & Inappropriate physical contact
  • Bedsores and infections
  • Identity theft, stealing money & forgery
  • Overcharging patients and families
  • Overmedicating patients
Does a fall in the nursing home count?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates approximately 1,800 nursing home residents die from dangerous falls each year. Residents who survive falls may sustain hip or head injuries which can lead to permanent disabilities.

Because of the new surroundings and staff neglect, many newly admitted nursing home residents will suffer a fall shortly after their arrival. Understaffing is a big factor in these injuries, and the management of nursing homes have a responsibility to prevent falls and accidents.

What about Bed Sores?

Bedsores, also known as pressure sores, pressure ulcers, and skin lesions can be very painful and lead to more serious health problems if not treated promptly. Nursing home staff are well aware that patients confined to beds need to be turned regularly to reduce the risk of developing ulcers. However, when nursing homes are understaffed or fail to properly attend to residents, patients suffer the consequences.

Bedsores, also called decubitus ulcers, are injuries to skin and underlying tissue from prolonged skin pressure. Bedsores commonly develop on bony areas of the body, such as the heels, ankles, hips and tailbone. Common Contributing Factors for Bedsores:

  • Pressure—bedsores are caused by pressure against the skin that limits blood flow to the skin. Blood flow is essential to delivering oxygen and nutrients to tissue.
  • Friction—skin rubbing against clothing or bedding makes skin more vulnerable to injury.
  • Immobility
  • Overmedicated patients
  • Understaffing at nursing homes
  • Lack of sensory perception
  • Malnutrition
  • Dehydration
  • Nursing home neglect
  • Medical conditions affecting blood flow—diabetes and vascular disease

People most at risk of bedsores have medical conditions that limit their ability to change positions on their own. Bedsores can develop quickly. Most sores heal with treatment, but some are more severe and lead to serious drug resistant infections. Other signs of nursing abuse include:

  • Unexplained injuries
  • Restraint marks
  • Lack of hygiene maintenance
  • Untidy living conditions
  • Unexplained withdrawals from bank accounts
  • Bedsores and poor skin conditions
  • Signs of dehydration
  • Unusually sedated residents
  • Weight loss
  • Broken bones & fractures
  • Bruising from unknown injuries
  • A patient that withdraws socially over time
  • Entirely non-communicative patient
  • A fear of physical contact

Bedsores are categorized into four stages, based on their depth, severity and other characteristics. They include:

  • Stage I—a persistent redness, swelling and tenderness on a patient’s skin.
  • Stage II—a loss of some of skin thickness. Appears as a blister, abrasion or shallow crater.
  • Stage III—damage to the full thickness of the skin. A deep lesion or crater is present.
  • Stage IV—a complete loss of the skin. Muscle or bone is exposed.

A bedsore can advance quickly when patients do not receive proper treatment and care in a nursing home or assisted living center. There are various factors associated with developing bedsores, though most involve neglect, understaffing, overmedicating, a lack of nutritional care and patient immobility.


Common Sites of Pressure Sores


  • Tailbone & Buttocks
  • Shoulder blades
  • Spine
  • Backs of arms & legs
  • Back or sides of the head
  • Hips
  • Lower back
  • Heels & ankles
  • Behind the knees

Complications of Bedsores & Skin Infections


  • Cellulitis—an infection of the skin and connected soft tissues.
  • Bone and joint infections—Infections from pressure sores can pass into joints and bones, damaging cartilage and tissue. Bone infections may reduce the function of joints and limbs.
  • Amputation
  • Sepsis
  • Cancer—long-term, unhealed wounds can develop into a type of squamous cell carcinoma
Do these cases settle?

Nursing homes tend to settle out of court when accidents and wrongful deaths occur, and you may seek legal counsel to guide you through the legal process. 

Your Right to Safety

Your Loved Ones Should Not Suffer in Their Homes

The elderly population in nursing homes and assisted living facilities around Ohio frequently suffer injuries like bedsores due to understaffing and neglect. Some underlying issues that lead to dangerous skin ulcers include improper medication, a lack of supervision, malnutrition, inadequate wound care, and a delay in sending patients to medical centers and hospitals. These severe injuries are almost always preventable, and nursing homes have a duty to ensure that residents are kept safe and as healthy as possible. Nursing home neglect may lead to severe infection, amputations, and death.

Good quality care in nursing homes includes evaluating medical quality, nurse staff levels, sanitary conditions, and health inspection reports. Overall staffing appears to be a huge factor in the level of care provided. Residents need continual attention and reports aim to monitor the average hours a day a patient receives care from registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, licensed vocational nurses and certified nurse assistants.