Woman sues over fall at nursing home

HUNTINGTON – A Cabell County woman is suing a nursing home, claiming staff there failed to tell her about a cord hanging by her mother's bed that she got tripped up on.

Glenna Cremeans filed a lawsuit June 3 in Cabell Circuit Court against HRWV Huntington Inc., doing business as Heritage Center Genesis ElderCare.

Cremeans says her mother began living in the defendant facility on Feb. 9, 2007. The plaintiff says she has visited her mother almost daily since then and often helped staff care for her mother.

She says the staff was aware of this help and was appreciative.

On June 14, 2007, Cremeans says she went to visit her mother and discovered that her bedclothes hadn't been changed. So, she began to change the bed.

During this, Cremeans says her right foot got tangled up in a cord hanging on the left side of the bed. The cord is meant to be pulled by a resident who needs help.

Cremeans says she fell to the floor. Emergency crews arrived and took her to St. Mary's Hospital, where physicians discovered that the plaintiff had a broken hip. She underwent a partial hip replacement two days later and began physical therapy during recovery.

Cremeans says she ended up developing bursitis in her left leg and suffered from pain. She also claims that, after the fall, she was diagnosed with osteoporosis. Existing problems with her back, neck and shoulder were aggravated by the fall, the complaint says.

Cremeans alleges that staff at the nursing home had a duty to warn her about the cord, since they were aware that she often performed tasks to help the staff care for her mother.

She's seeking compensatory damages.

Timothy P. Rosinksy is representing the plaintiff. The case is before Cabell Circuit Judge David Pancake.

Cabell Circuit Court case number: 09-C-473