Professional Negligence Law Reporter

Mary Henry, who suffered from dementia and took various medications, was admitted to The Oaks Assisted Living Community. Over the next several years, she often wandered from the facility, suffered numerous falls, and sustained injuries from her falls, including a hematoma. Approximately five years after her admission, she experienced a fall resulting in a fractured femur that necessitated surgery. While hospitalized, she suffered a stroke. She later died of complications from the fracture.

Henry’s estate filed suit against the facility and a related entity, alleging improper monitoring and failure to properly ensure that adequate fall precautions were in place. The plaintiff asserted that the defendants had failed to appreciate the effects Henry’s medical condition would have on her, including her high blood sugar, which increased her risk of falling.

The parties settled for $150,000.

Citation: Lefevre v. The Oaks Assisted Living Cmty., No. 2021-14101 (Pa. Ct. Com. Pl. Montgomery Cnty. May 6, 2022).

Plaintiff counsel: AAJ member Churchill Huston, Philadelphia.