When it comes to law suits that involve nursing home abuse a recent jury verdict in California has shaken the industry to its core. A Humboldt County jury slammed the Eureka Healthcare and Rehabilitation center to the tune of $677 million due to the living conditions of Cindy Cool’s father and thousands of other residents.
Cool testified to the jury that she often left the nursing home in tears after the things she saw. She said she would often find her father, who suffers from Alzheimer’s sitting in urine-soaked clothes. It would often take up to 20-minutes for the staff to help clean her father after these incidents.

The jury verdict has sparked controversy as the size of the award surprised even Cool’s lawyer. Some are calling the verdict a clear example of the need for tort reform and litigation abuse. The verdict is believed to be the largest in the United States this year.
The nursing home industry changed drastically at the turn of the century when Wall Street investment firms began buying up nursing homes at an alarming rate. According to the article on MSNBC.com critics claim these big investment firms started to cut staff, payroll and expenses to raise stock prices.
Cool was part of a class action lawsuit that was filed on behalf of 32,000 patients. They blamed staff shortages for the conditions the patients had to suffer in. The argument that nursing homes are now looked at as profit centers rather than care-givers seems to have rung true with the jury. The company that owns Eureka Healthcare and Rehabilitation has seen its stock plunge due to fears that the company may have to file bankruptcy due to the large verdict.
With the amount of elderly living in Florida and the current state of nursing home care, the nearly $700 million verdict in California should send a message against nursing home abuse in Florida.