Nursing Home Sued After Resident Falls Down Concrete Stairs in Wheelchair

An Iowa nursing home is facing a lawsuit filed by a resident who fell down a flight of concrete stairs while seated in a wheelchair. The resident is now suing Odebolt Specialty Care and its owners, Care Initiatives of West Des Moines, for negligence and breach of contract.

According to the plaintiff’s lawsuit, on July 2, 2024, the 88-year-old plaintiff was found at the bottom of a set of 13 concrete stairs that led from the kitchen to the basement of the home. Although the kitchen was considered a restricted area from which residents were not allowed to enter, a staff member had allegedly propped open the door, allowing the plaintiff to wheel herself into the kitchen. Her lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages, and the nursing home is yet to file a response.

State inspectors’ reports indicate that the plaintiff had propelled herself into the kitchen, through two more doors, and then toppled down the stairs leading to the basement. She was ultimately found by a kitchen worker who heard someone yelling for help. The plaintiff sustained lacerations to her forehead and left forearm, and an injury that was described as a huge gash on her cheek. She was transported to a hospital where according to inspectors, the records indicate the plaintiff was admitted with a head wound that required 7 stitches to close as well as bruises on her head, hands, legs, hips, both eyes, and basically all over.

According to her lawsuit, Odebolt Specialty Care was charging the plaintiff $342 a day for its services. The plaintiff had lived at the facility since 2013. As a result of the accident, the state proposed a $9,000 fine. Federal officials imposed a fine of $14,433.

According to court records, there are at least 14 other lawsuits currently pending against Care Initiatives. Thirteen of those cases are tied to resident deaths. One case involves a male intruder who was found in bed with a female resident at a Care Initiatives facility.

Elements of negligence 

Nursing homes are responsible for not allowing residents to wander about the facility or access restricted spaces. In cases where the nursing home fails in its duty of care to protect its residents from known dangers, the nursing home can be sued if the individual in question sustains injuries as a result of that negligence. In this case, the plaintiff fell down a flight of stairs after she was allowed to access a restricted area that should have been closed off to ensure the safety of nursing home residents. She will likely be compensated for her injuries.

Talk to a Tampa, FL nursing home negligence and abuse lawyer today 

Florin Gray represents the interests of nursing home residents and their family members in nursing home negligence and abuse lawsuits. Call our Tampa personal injury lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin investigating your case right away.

Source:

iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/02/19/nursing-home-sued-after-resident-falls-down-concrete-stairs-in-wheelchair/