Dudensing Law Obtains $30 Million+ Verdict In Sacramento Elder Abuse Trial Against Plum Healthcare

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A Sacramento Superior Court jury handed down a $30.9 million verdict in an elder abuse trial against Plum Healthcare Group where the nursing facility giant was accused of being consumed with a "profit-at-all-costs" attitude, even while doing great harm to seniors in its care.

This was the first of numerous trials that attorney Ed Dudensing has against Plum Healthcare, both of which have horribly similar facts. In this case, the healthcare giant is accused of being a money-first organization that neglected the care of Sam Rios, Jr. Attorneys Jay Renneisen and Andrew Collins worked alongside Mr. Dudensing in this case.

Mr. Rios was a beloved husband of 40 years with eight children. He was a professor of Chicano Studies at Sacramento State for 30 years, was a military veteran, a civil rights activist and a college football player. Mr. Rios came to stay at Pine Creek Care Center in 2017 for just two weeks. However, in that short time, he developed two unstageable heel pressure sores, one of which was discovered to be "to-the-bone" Stage IV pressure sore that he had to live with until he died in March of 2018. According to the complaint, the main reason for Mr. Rios' extremely poor treatment was understaffing at Pine Creek that occurred as a way to increase profits.

"In just two weeks, Plum staff's utter neglect of Mr. Rios ruined his life, left him in constant agony, and ultimately helped lead to his death," said attorney Ed Dudensing. "When nursing facilities understaff to drive profits, it costs people their lives, but Plum Healthcare was more concerned with impressing investors than saving lives."

The total verdict in favor of plaintiffs was $5.9 million in compensatory damages plus $25 million in punitive damages. 

According to the complaint, the attorneys argued that in addition to being dangerously understaffed, the nurses that did work at Pine Creek were never adequately supervised or trained. Plum Healthcare had created an incentive program in every one of its operations, including Pine Creek, which prioritized profits even at the expense of the patient care it was supposed to provide.

The case is Sam Rios Jr. v. Pine Creek Care Center, Plum Healthcare Group, LLC, Sacramento Superior Court, Case No. 34-2018-00244263.

Ed Dudensing has assembled an experienced and talented staff with a single-minded focus on fighting on behalf of victims of elder neglect and abuse.  This team includes not only multiple experienced and aggressive attorneys but also the most talented pool of administrative staff in the Sacramento Area, with more than one hundred years of collective experience in the legal field. Based both on its numbers and strength of personnel, Dudensing Law is uniquely situated to stand up to the large law firms representing the corporations who own nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Media Contact:
Joe Marchelewski
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SOURCE Dudensing Law