Woman sues Genesis Healthcare

CHARLESTON – A woman is suing Genesis Healthcare Corporation after she claims it is responsible for the death of her family member.

Genesis Healthcare, LLC; Teays Valley Haven Limited Partnership; 590 North Poplar Fork Road Operations, LLC; Matthew Keefer; John Does 1 through 10; and Unidentified Entities 1 through 10 (as to Teays Valley Center) were also named as defendants in the suit.

Patricia Pridemore was a resident of the defendants’ nursing home from July 14, 2011, until her death on Feb. 9, according to a complaint filed Nov. 15 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

Drema Jones claims the defendants failed to discharge their obligations of care to Pridemore and as a consequence, she suffered catastrophic injuries, disfigurement, extreme pain, suffering, mental anguish and death.

The scope and severity of the recurrent wrongs inflicted upon Pridemore while she was under the defendants’ care accelerated the deterioration of her health and physical condition beyond that caused by the normal aging process and resulted in physical and emotional trauma including pressure sores, dehydration, malnutrition, infections, sepsis and death, according to the suit.

Jones claims the defendants failed to take reasonable steps to prevent, eliminate and correct deficiencies and problems in resident care.

The defendants’ failure to ensure sufficient and appropriate supplies were available to meet the needs of the residents and failure to ensure that the facility was properly budgeted to ensure its residents’ needs were met were negligent and contributed to Pridemore’s death, according to the suit.

Jones is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. She is being represented by James B. McHugh and Michael J. Fuller Jr.

The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Paul Zakaib Jr.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 12-C-2280