Sacramento jury renders
$30.9 million award against long term
care provider Plum Healthcare for malicious, oppressive and
fraudulent conduct in the care of a 86-year-old former Sacramento
State Professor
WALNUT
CREEK, Calif., Jan. 27,
2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Judgment was entered today
on a $30.9 million jury verdict
issued this week against long term care provider Plum Healthcare
and its skilled nursing facility known as Pine Creek Care Center in
Roseville, California. The
plaintiffs in the case, Sam Rios,
Jr., deceased, his wife and his eight adult children, were
represented by attorneys Edward P.
Dudensing, Jay P. Renneisen
and Andrew J. Collins.
After a ten week trial, the Sacramento jury found defendants Plum
Healthcare and its parent company Bay Bridge Capital Partners
liable for reckless, malicious, oppressive and fraudulent conduct
in the care of Sam Rios, Jr., who
was an 86-year-old resident in their skilled nursing facility for
two weeks in April of 2017. The verdict is believed to be the
largest nursing home elder abuse verdict ever in the greater
Sacramento and San Francisco Bay Area regions.
The jury's verdict was based on evidence that Mr. Rios acquired
severe pressure sores, also known as bedsores, as a result of an
ongoing pattern of neglect and understaffing at the nursing home.
The main reason for the extreme failures in the care of Mr. Rios,
according to the plaintiffs, was understaffing of the facility in
order to increase profit.
"Mr. Rios suffered from a horrific Stage IV to-the-bone pressure
ulcer for 330 days and then died because of Plum's horrible plan to
understaff this nursing facility despite knowing patient care and
safety were being compromised," said plaintiffs' attorney
Jay Renneisen who tried the case
with attorneys Edward P. Dudensing
and Andrew J. Collins. "In just two
weeks, Plum staff's utter neglect of Mr. Rios ruined his life, left
him in constant agony, and ultimately helped lead to his death,"
said attorney Ed Dudensing.
The total verdict in favor of plaintiffs was $5.9 million in compensatory damages plus
$25 million in punitive damages.
"Sam Rios was a beloved husband
of over 40 years to Christina, his soul mate, and he was loved so
dearly by each of his eight kids, Sammy, Ruben, Velin, Reyes,
Tomas, Bernardo, Tony and Olivia. He was also a professor of
Chicano Studies at Sacramento State for over 30 years, a military
veteran, a civil rights activist, and a true pillar of our
community. He deserved better than what Plum did to him and his
family. No one's spouse or parent deserves to be treated like
that," said attorney Jay
Renneisen.
The case is Sam Rios Jr., et al.
v. Pine Creek Care Center, Plum Healthcare Group, LLC, et al.,
Sacramento Superior Court, Case No. 34-2018-00244263.
Media Contact
Jay Renneisen, Nursing Home &
Elder Abuse Law Center, 1 925-820-4700 Ext: 6403,
jay@noelderabuse.com
SOURCE Nursing Home & Elder Abuse Law Center