Nursing homes and assisted living facilities are charged with caring for those who have trouble caring for themselves. There are times when nursing homes are accused of being understaffed. This problem leads to accusations of neglect and abuse.
The Superior Court of Maine has handed down a decision that will revive a lawsuit against Pine Point Center. The lawsuit, filed by an employee who was dismissed back in 2012, alleges that the employee’s termination was a product of retaliation.
The nursing home, located in Scarborough, is owned by Genesis Health Care. Genesis Health Care is a for-profit company that operates 10 other nursing facilities in Maine.
The plaintiff in the lawsuit, Karen Cormier, is a certified nursing assistant who was terminated after 10 years at the facility. Cormier alleges that her termination came about after she addressed concerns about understaffing to a superior.
Cormier began bringing her concerns to management in the spring of 2011, citing her belief that reducing the number of nurses in her area from 4 or 5 to 3 or 4 would prompt delays in the nurses assistants in helping patients. She felt this could lead to patients becoming impatient and seeking to try and get out of bed on their own, leading to falls and injury.
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After bringing up her concerns, Cormier states that she had signed a statement that she had stuck a patient on the hand, but had in fact, not worked on the day of the alleged incident. Cormier alleges that this statement was used to terminate her employment in January of 2012. She filed a lawsuit in December of 2012.
Cormier’s lawyer states that he has settled two previous cases of wrongful dismissal against Genesis Health Care and is currently pursuing three other cases besides Cormier’s in court. Her attorney believes this speaks to a pattern.
If you believe that a family member of a loved one is the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, contact the offices of Schenk Smith today. Our attorneys will help get the compensation that you deserve.
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