Nursing Home Sued in $32.5 Million Wrongful Death Lawsuit

A Virginia nursing home has been named as a defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit, filed by the son of a woman who died after developing multiple bed sores on her body.

Bob Wiggins, acting as the administrator of his mother's estate, filed a lawsuit against Ruxton Health of Williamsburg and Sue Myatt, former nursing home administrator.

Wiggins claims his mother, Lorina Wiggins, was in the nursing home's care for more than a year when she was taken to the hospital in March 2008, suffering from infected bed sores on her body. Lorina died a week later.

The lawsuit claims that a bedsore on Lorina's ankle was diagnosed in December of 2007, but by the time she was taken to the hospital in March 2008 the infection grew deep enough to expose her bone. Wiggins believes complications from the infection ultimately led to his mother's death.

Wiggins also claims the nursing home never informed him of his mother's infection or the other sores on her body. Because Wiggins could not visit his mother in person, he called the nursing home several times to check in on her, and every time a staff member said she was doing fine and there were no problems.

The lawsuit further alleges that the nursing home knew Lorina was susceptible to bed sores, and that she required specific care to prevent them from occurring, such as being repositioned every two hours.

Wiggins is seeking $32.5 million.

This is the third lawsuit filed against Ruxton Health in a year.

If you believe your loved one is a victim of nursing home neglect, please click here to find a personal injury lawyer near you.