Former resident sues Genesis Healthcare for nursing home negligence

CHARLESTON - A woman is suing Genesis Healthcare LLC for injuries she suffered while she was a resident in New Martinsville Healthcare Center.

Sunbridge Care Enterprises Inc.; Sunbridge Mountain Care Management Inc.; John Does 1 through 10; and Unidentified Entities 1 through 10 (as to New Martinsville Healthcare Center) were also named as defendants in the suit.

Tiffany Garrison was a resident in the defendants' facility from Dec. 16, 2010, until July 27, 2011, according to a complaint filed May 6 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

Garrison claims the defendants 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 malnutrition, dehydration and infections.

The defendants' conduct caused Garrison to lose her personal dignity; extreme and unnecessary pain; degradation; anguish; otherwise unnecessary hospitalizations; disfigurement; and emotional trauma, according to the suit.

Garrison claims as a result of the defendants' negligence, she was seriously injured and suffered loss of enjoyment of life, humiliation, disability and mental anguish.

The defendants violated the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act and used deception, false pretense, false promises and/or misrepresentations, and/or the concealment, suppression and/or omission of material facts with the intent that Garrison and others rely upon the concealment, suppression or omission in connection with the sale of nursing home services, according to the suit.

Garrison is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. She is being represented by James B. McHugh, Michael J. Fuller Jr. and Amy J. Quezon of McHugh Fuller Law Group PLLC.

The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Carrie Webster.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 13-C-877