Cravens & Noll, P.C. announces the filing of a wrongful death civil lawsuit against Colonial Heights Rehabilitation and Nursing Center on behalf of the family of Geraldine Richardson, a 78-year-old former resident who died from complications related to severe pressure ulcers and septic infection.

The lawsuit alleges that Ms. Richardson, who initially entered the facility with dementia and difficulty walking for rehabilitation services, sustained fatal injuries as a direct result of negligence by the nursing home, its ownership, and specific medical staff.

“Ms. Richardson was placed in the rehab facility to get care, to get help to re-learn to walk,” stated Joe Cravens, President of Cravens & Noll and lead attorney representing the Richardson family. “During her time there, she went from almost ambulatory to death by stage 4 ulcers with necrotic tissue, through the skin and septic infection through the muscle tissue throught to the spinal bones.”

According to the lawsuit, Ms. Richardson developed severe pressure ulcers measuring approximately 6 inches wide with blackened necrotic tissue and foul-smelling drainage. The suit alleges that despite knowing Ms. Richardson required position changes every two hours, the facility provided little to no purposeful turning or repositioning.

Additional allegations include:

• Failure to provide adequate nutrition
• Improper retention of Ms. Richardson despite knowledge that the facility was incapable of meeting her medical needs
• Negligent care that directly contributed to her declining condition and ultimate death

This civil lawsuit comes amid a separate criminal investigation involving the facility regarding the death of another resident under similar circumstances.

“When healthcare facilities accept non-ambulatory patients, people who cannot move on their own, they absolutely must provide the necessary care, including repositioning these individuals every two hours,” added Cravens. “There is no question about this standard of care.”

The lawsuit names Innovative Healthcare Management as the facility’s owner, though recent court testimony from a nurse investigator at the Virginia Attorney General’s Office indicated the current ownership may be Medical Facilities of America (MFA).

You can watch local news on this case from WWBT – NBC 12 On Your Side or from WTVR CBS 6 News.

About Cravens & Noll, P.C.

Cravens & Noll P.C. is a highly rated and award-winning law firm founded in 1991. They have protected and served the rights of over 25,000 people throughout Virginia across 4 decades in business. With 4 offices in Richmond and Harrisonburg, Cravens & Noll represents clients across several practice areas, including personal injury, civil litigation, divorce, criminal defense, business law, wills and estates, traffic & DUI, bankruptcy, and more.

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