Jensen v. Manor Care Sandia, N.M. 2nd Jud. Dist. Ct., CV 96-007988.

Wilma Jensen hired a nursing home to take care of her elderly husband, Ned, for one week while she visited relatives out of state. By the time she returned, the nursing home had so neglected Ned that he required permanent full time nursing home care because he could no longer walk. Within months of his stay at the nursing home, he experienced rapid decline and died as a result of the nursing home’s failure to properly staff the nursing home and adequately train its staff to care for residents like Ned. As this case proceeded towards trial aggressive discovery by our firm revealed disturbing nursing home practices. One week before trial the case settled for an amount almost twice as high as the original pre-trial offer. As a result of working with families like the Jensens, the firm has become committed to nursing home reform. We actively support and lobby for changes to nursing home law to improve nursing home staffing, conditions, and accountability.

Past successes cannot be an assurance of future success because each case must be decided on its own merits.