Attorney-Partner E.J. Hammann and Attorney-Partner Brian Brown of Brown & Barron, LLC have recently secured an $8.5 million jury award in a lawsuit filed against Largo Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (Largo) in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The nursing home negligence lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Hansford family after Helen Hansford, an 83-year-old resident of the nursing home, passed away due to complications caused by malnutrition, bed sore complications, and medication errors. The jury found that Largo negligently housed and cared for Helen and that Helena, Helen’s daughter, had the grounds to pursue a wrongful death claim. $8 million was awarded for Helen Hansford’s estate and $500,000 was awarded for Helena Hansford, totaling $8.5 million.
Details of the Helen’s Negligent Treatment
In June 2020, when Helen first came to Largo Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Prince George’s County, she weighed 112 pounds. She had previously been hospitalized after a bad fall, so she needed around-the-clock care. Upon admission, it was noted that she was at risk for falls, pressure injuries (bed sores), malnutrition, and “failing to thrive” (unsafe weight loss and related complications).
By October, Helen’s weight was reported to be around 95 pounds. Months later, in January 2021, her weight had plummeted to just 81 pounds, which is about 72% of what it was before. Amid Helen’s weight loss crisis, Largo staff failed to put her back on the blood thinner medication that she needed after a surgery related to her fall. In February 2021, a blood clot went to her lungs and brain, causing her to pass away.
Using the Law to Seek Justice
The Hansford family came to the renowned nursing home abuse attorneys of Brown & Barron, LLC for legal counsel after Helen’s wrongful death. Through our investigation and due diligence, our attorneys were able to uncover various forms of evidence regarding the negligent care provided by Largo, including the serious mistakes that put Helen in grave danger. Using our collection of evidence and years of legal knowledge, we prepared and filed the lawsuit against Largo, which would ultimately convince a jury to award $8.5 million to our clients.
Maryland Non-Economic Damage Caps
Unfortunately, Maryland currently has non-economic damage cap laws in place that apply to the Hansford case. The $8.5 million award will be reduced to $845,000 due to this law.
Attorney Brown voiced his opinion about the non-economic damage cap, stating, “The caps allow for justice not to be served. A jury determined the compensation that our clients should receive, and these caps artificially and unnecessarily prevent people from receiving justice.” Ultimately, though, Attorney Brown, Attorney Hammann, and our legal team believe that the Hansford family feels like justice was served because they were given the opportunity to take the stand and tell the jury about what happened to Helen.
For more information about this recent multimillion-dollar case result won by Brown & Barron, LLC, you can click here to view a full article from The Daily Record. We encourage you to browse our case results to learn about our other major wins for nursing home abuse clients. If you want our legal counsel after a loved one was abused or neglected by a Maryland nursing home, please call (410) 698-1717 at any time to request a free case evaluation. Thank you.