Lawsuit Brought Against Nursing Home Following Death of Patient

By Daniel Hawn

Published on September 23, 2005

Brian Fournier of Hurwitz, Sagarin & Slossberg filed the lawsuit on behalf of the family of Geraldine Hart. Hart, the suit claims, died as a result of negligent care at Golden Hill Health Care Center.

Hart was transferred to the nursing home in 2003 after experiencing a stroke. The medications shetook while at the facility caused her to suffer from constipation. The suit claims that in July, Hart began to experience stomach pain and notified Golden Hill staff of her condition. The suit goes on to state that on October 6, she was taken to an area hospital and again was taken there three days later. According to the lawsuit, Hart died several hours after being taken to the hospital for the second time.

The lawsuit states that Hart's death resulted from a rupture in her intestine that was caused by severe constipation.

The family's lawsuit against Golden Hill claims that staff members were given specific guidelines to follow regarding the treatment of Hart's constipation from her medications. The suit states that the staff negligently failed to follow these guidelines and is therefore responsible for Hart's death.

When contacted for comment Tuesday evening, Golden Hill representatives would not to discuss the lawsuit.

Comment on this article →