Woman says Select Specialty Hospital-Charleston negligent in its care

CHARLESTON - Select Specialty Hospital-Charleston Inc. is being sued after one of its former residents claims she received negligent care during her stay.

On March 4, 2011, Robin Taylor was admitted to Select as a resident/patient on a continuous care basis and she remained there until March 16, 2011, according to a complaint filed April 17 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

Taylor claims she was negligently allowed to continue to develop pressure sores and when she was discharged, she had developed a significant pressure ulcer.

Select also failed to provide Taylor with proper and sufficient wound care, which contributed to the progression of her pressure ulcer, according to the suit.

Taylor claims Select failed to exercise reasonable and ordinary care, skill and diligence, and departed from the generally accepted and recognized standards of care.

Select violated various statutes, industry standards, rules and regulations by failing to develop and implement policies and procedures to prohibit the mistreatment and neglect of its residents; failed to implement the care plan that was instituted for Taylor that met her medical, nursing, mental and psycho-social needs; failed to meet professional standards of quality and accepted standards of clinical practice; and failed to prevent the further development of Taylor's existing pressure sore, to promote healing of the existing pressure sore and to prevent further pain associated with the pressure sore, according to the suit.

Taylor claims Select also failed to adhere to and follow generally accepted principles and industry standards as explicitly or implicitly covered within applicable rules, statutes, regulations and industry standards.

As a result of the defendant's violations, Taylor suffered severe personal injury; physical pain and suffering; and physical and emotional distress, according to the suit.

Taylor is seeking compensatory damages with pre- and post-judgment interest. She is being represented by Chad P. Shannon of Robert Peirce & Associates PC.

In December, Robert Peirce and one of the partners in his old law firm were found by a jury to have conspired with a radiologist to fabricate asbestos claims in West Virginia. The jury’s ruling resulted in a more than $400,000 verdict being entered in favor of CSX Transportation.

The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Jennifer Bailey.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 13-C-743