Kentucky and Tennessee Nursing Home Deaths Make News
Nursing home deaths from abuse or neglect in Tennessee do not always make the nightly news, especially while an investigation is ongoing. Perhaps the recent reporting of nursing home deaths in this week’s news comes on the crest of TN nursing home industry’s anti-lawsuit legislation or maybe, finally, nursing home deaths from negligence are being treated with the importance they deserve.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, acting on a Knox County medical examiner’s opinion that her death was caused by poor nursing home treatment, is investigating the possible homicide of Hillcrest North nursing home resident Linda Darlene Carter. Ms. Carter suffered the horrors of dehydration due to inadequate care.
Ms. Carter had been injured in a car crash and had been transferred from the University of Tennessee Medical Center to Hillcrest Healthcare North to recover. Instead, the nursing home allegedly neglected to provide adequate care, namely, she received insufficient hydration for her to live, much less heal from her injuries.
She was survived by her son and daughter who have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the TN nursing home.
The next step for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, if review reveals homicidal negligence, will be a criminal investigation into the nursing home death.
In Kentucky, meanwhile this week, two KY nursing home aides have been charged with abuse and neglect in a Richmond, KY nursing home. One faces charges of wanton abuse and neglect of an adult and the other charges of reckless abuse and neglect of an adult after an investigation in August 08. A former third nurse at the Richmond, KY nursing home pled guilty to reckless abuse and neglect, was sentenced to one year in jail, and has instead been given probation for two years.
At least one of the claims alleges that meals were not offered to a 84-year-old nursing home resident. Instead, the charged ate the food herself, letting the resident starve. Also alleged is improper cleaning of a resident that put her at risk of an infection. The patient died in November from Alzheimer’s-related complications.
Wanton abuse or neglect of an adult is a Class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison under Kentucky state law while reckless abuse or neglect is a Class A misdemeanor.
If you have lost a loved one due to abusive or negligent nursing home care in Tennessee, Kentucky, or Georgia, contact Higgins Firm using our convenient nursing home attorney contact form.
Author Bio
Jim Higgins, founder of the Higgins Firm, is a seasoned personal injury attorney with deep roots in Nashville, Tennessee. A 4th generation Nashvillian, Jim carries on the legal legacy of his father, a judge for over 30 years. After graduating from the University of Memphis School of Law, Jim’s career began on the other side of the courtroom, defending insurance companies and learning their tactics for minimizing settlements. However, he soon realized his true calling was fighting for the rights of the injured, and for the past several years, he has exclusively represented plaintiffs in personal injury cases.
Since then, his dedication and skill have earned him membership in the prestigious Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an organization limited to attorneys who have secured million and multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for their clients. Licensed to practice in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Georgia, Jim focuses on personal injury, product liability, medical malpractice, and workers’ compensation cases. His exceptional work has been recognized by his peers, earning him a spot on the Super Lawyers list from 2021 to 2024, a distinction awarded to only a select group of accomplished attorneys in each state.
