Kathryn Brackett, age 85, died of hypothermia outside Crystal Springs on October 27, 2016. Crystal Springs is a part of Meridian Senior Living, LLC. The family filed suit.
Ms. Brackett left the facility around 12:30 a.m. and was not discovered until 5:00 a.m. According to the lawsuit, it was cold, raining, and in the mid-30’s. The family states they were told by Crystal Springs that the facility provided a safe, secure, and monitored home for residents who had a tendency to wander. Until she started living at Crystal Springs, Ms. Brackett had a tendency to wander from the home she shared with her husband.
Attorneys for the family state the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs has determined that the facility failed to follow policy and that the “…staff responsible for overseeing Brackett’s care admitted visual checks of Brackett’s whereabouts were not personally performed, instead assuming other team members had done them.” Ms. Brackett was found about 40 feet from her room in a fenced courtyard. She was face down and her body temperature was 71.6 degrees.
When someone is injured or dies due to a health care provider’s negligence, financial recovery may be available. Such recovery is particularly important when permanent, life changing injuries are incurred. It is important to contact someone who understands the intricacies of the party’s right to recover.
Medical malpractice is a difficult area of law as it requires an understanding of both the legal practice and the mechanics of medicine. Abraham Watkins offers a free consultation to anyone wishing to pursue such claims.