Georgia Jury Awards $ 325,000 To Patient's Estate In Negligence Action Claiming Hospital Allowed Patient To Fall After Stepping Out Of Shower
April 14, 2016 - On Dec. 2, 2010, Mary Kate Ford, 60 years of age, was admitted to the emergency department of the West Georgia Medical Center with morbid obesity, end state renal disease, congestive heart failure, hypothyroidism, and other conditions. Ford was diagnosed as having acute pneumonia and admitted to the hospital the next day. Ford was found to be at high risk for falls, and fall risk prevention protocol was initiated. On Dec. 4, 2010, Ford fell while returning to bed from the shower. Ford had allegedly been told by a nurse's assistant to leave the bed to take a shower and was left unattended while bathing. Ford suffered a fracture of her right thigh. Surgery was performed the following day to repair the fracture.
On Nov. 29, 2012, Ford filed a complaint against Lagrange-Troup County Hospital Authority, West Georgia Medical Center, Inc. and West Georgia Health System, Inc. d/b/a West Georgia Health System, West Georgia Health and West Georgia Medical Center in the State Court of Troup County, Georgia. Ford asserting negligence/vicarious liability claims and a breach of the standard of care for nurses and nursing assistants. After Ford died, Robert Ford, as Administrator of the Estate of Mary Kate Ford, was substituted as the plaintiff.
On March 3, 2016, the jury found that the negligence of West Georgia Medical Center exceeded the negligence of Ford and apportioned 0% negligence to Ford and 100% negligence to West Georgia Medical Center. The jury awarded $ 325,000 to plaintiff. According to plaintiff’s attorneys, they had offered to settle the case prior to trial for $300,000, but the hospital had only offered $15,000.
Plaintiff was represented by Quinton S. Seay and Eugene Felton, Jr., of Stewart, Seay & Felton in Atlanta, GA. Defendants were represented by Richard G. Tisinger, Jr., and Christopher Lee of Tisinger Vance, P.C., in Carrollton, GA.
For more information about the case, including expert information, please see the full summary on Lexis Advance: Mary Kate Ford v. Lagrange-Troup County Hospital Authority, West Georgia Medical Center, Inc. and West Georgia Health System, Inc. d/b/a West Georgia Health System, West Georgia Health and West Georgia Medical Center; 2013 Jury Verdicts LEXIS 289.