Family files $15 million wrongful death suit against Nursing Home

Family members filed a $15 million wrongful death lawsuit against a local nursing home on Wednesday. The complaint says Erwin Health Care Center in Unicoi County waited days before notifying a doctor or family members that one of their patients was “comatose.”
"This is a classic example of pure neglect,” attorney for the plaintiff Parke Morris said. “He was just forgotten."
Morris said William Warden, 93, entered Erwin Health Care Center on March 8th, 2011.
On March 28th, he weighed 162 pounds.
The lawsuit suggests Warden was in good health on April 25th when he visited with Alan Altizer and had a “pleasant conversation.”
But Warden's medical notes indicated a decline on May 2nd. They described him as "comatose."
Morris said no one notified a doctor – or the Warden Family – for two full days.
"If this had happened to an animal, we'd have the SPCA out demanding that a full investigation be done,” Morris said. “Here, it's just swept under the rug because it's a bunch of old people."
Family files $15 million wrongful death suit against Erwin Health Care TriCities.com