Elder Abuse Attorney

LA Nursing Facility Allegedly Patient Dumping

In July, a new lawsuit was filed against the Lakeview Terrace Skilled Nursing Facility. Lakeview Terrace faces allegations of patient dumping during the COVID-19 pandemic, abusing, and neglecting patients, the denial of medical care, and efforts to conceal its conduct. This is the second such lawsuit filed against the facility in the last two years.

If you find out that a nursing home or facility has abused a loved one or discharged them without good reason and without notice, you should seek legal assistance. The Los Angeles wrongful discharge nursing home abuse attorneys at Kaufman Law Firm can step in to help, investigating, and working to secure compensation for your family.

Horrific Case of Nursing Home Abuse

Back in 2019, Lakeview Terrace faced similar charges of dumping patients and not meeting quality-of-care mandates. They were required to pay a substantial settlement which included civil penalties and submitting to a court-ordered monitor, overseeing the facility’s operations.

The charge of patient dumping can be defined as an unlawful discharging of disabled, elderly, and sick patients into facilities that are unable to care for them without the consent of either the patients or their families.

The current lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction barring the staff of Lakeview Terrace Skilled Nursing Facility staff from engaging in the acts and practices alleged in the latest complaint, appointing a special master to oversee Lakeview Terrace operations, and civil penalties of up to $11,000 per violation from the 2019 injunction.

Lakeview Terrace Skilled Nursing Facility allegedly unlawfully dumped patients to make room for new, incoming patients. More incoming Medicare-covered patients mean the nursing homes can receive substantially higher reimbursements for patients suffering from COVID-19.

But these reimbursements decrease over time, so facilities are incentivized to clear rooms for incoming Medicare patients. Lakeview Terrace is also being charged with dumping homeless and mentally impaired patients.

The new complaint also alleges that Lakeview Terrace managers failed to report allegations of resident abuse and neglect to the independent monitor.

The complaint also lists a series of abuse and neglect cases, including:

  • Forcing new residents to spend nights in the facility’s common areas because they had more patients than beds
  • Failing to administer hundreds of doses of crucial medications to seriously ill patients
  • Falsifying medical records to cover up abuse
  • Committing 32 violations of state and federal regulations regarding public health which “were likely to cause serious injury, harm, impairment or death”

When should I contact a lawyer?

If a nursing home has caused injuries to your loved ones by dumping them into a facility with insufficient care due to a wrongful discharge, please reach out to us. Elder abuse and neglect are abhorrent, and we will fight to secure compensation for you and your loved one.

This compensation varies, but may include:

  • Coverage of relocation expenses
  • Payment of medical bills due to abuse
  • Pain and suffering damages
  • Punitive damages against those responsible

Contact the Los Angeles wrongful discharge nursing home abuse attorneys at Kaufman Law Firm for a consultation by clicking here or calling us at 818-990-1999.

Share On:
Powered By