On August 2, 2018, clients of Henson & Fuerst, P.A. and families of nursing home residents across North Carolina scored a victory in the fight to promote greater safety for nursing home residents.
In VanDevender v. Blue Ridge of Raleigh, LLC, the United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals held that a North Carolina nursing home and its operators were liable for punitive damages for “deliberately failing to discharge their duty to provide adequate staff and supplies for their nursing facility” when the nursing home operators knew that the failure to provide minimum staffing and supplies was reasonably likely to result in patient injury or death.
Punitive damages, or damages to punish and deter bad conduct, were awarded to the families of three Henson & Fuerst, P.A. clients whose loved ones died at the hands of Blue Ridge of Raleigh, Care One, LLC, and Care Virginia Management, LLC.
At trial, the team of Rachel A. Fuerst and Thomas W. Henson, Jr. won punitive damages against the nursing home operators. The ruling from the United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals is the first court to rule on punitive damages against a nursing home under North Carolina law.
If your loved one has suffered abuse or neglect in a nursing home or other long-term care facility, call the experienced North Carolina nursing home abuse attorneys at Henson Fuerst today at (919) 781-1107.
If you are concerned about the treatment your loved one is receiving, contact the legal team at Henson Fuerst today. Call (919) 781-1107 or complete a free initial consultation form. We have a long history of advocating for the rights of people suffering mistreatment—and will treat your case with respect and compassion.
When you call, you will speak with one of our experienced Raleigh nursing home abuse attorneys. They will investigate every detail of your situation at no cost to you and fight hard to protect your rights. At Henson Fuerst, you will never pay an attorney’s fee up front, and you owe us nothing unless we recover for you.
